PHILADELPHIA – Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch visited both Iroquois Elementary School and Wattsburg Area Elementary Center in Erie on Feb. 15 to reward students for participating in Fuel Up to Play 60, a youth-led nutrition and fitness initiative aimed at tackling childhood obesity.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is a program created by National Dairy Council and the National Football League that empowers students to make changes at school that will help them be active for 60 minutes daily and fuel up with nutrient-rich foods missing from their diets. The program is sponsored locally by Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, a regional affiliate of National Dairy Council.
During his visits to Iroquois Elementary School and Wattsburg Area Elementary Center, Batch talked to students about the importance of eating right and getting at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. He also recognized the Fuel Up to Play 60 Program Advisors and student teams for completing four program milestones that earned them the Steelers player appearance.
As part of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, student teams at both Iroquois and Wattsburg worked through four steps on their way to encouraging classmates to eat right and get active. The first step was to “Join the League & Suit Up,” in which adults signed up to serve as Program Advisors. Schools also displayed the Fuel Up to Play 60 banner and other materials. The second step involved building a Fuel Up to Play 60 team and drafting “players” to lead student activities. The schools then held a kickoff event to introduce the program. During the fourth step, Program Advisors and students surveyed the field, conducting a school wellness investigation to see how well their school stacked up in terms of healthy eating and physical activity.
“The Program Advisors and student teams at both schools should be commended for the tremendous job they’ve done in integrating Fuel Up to Play 60 in their school programs,” said Sharon Piano, MS RD LDN CFCS, Child Nutrition and Fitness Initiative/Fuel Up to Play 60 coordinator for Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association. “They truly have shown their commitment to moving the entire school community toward a lifetime of healthy eating and physical fitness.”
The youth-led program empowers children and teens to take charge of their health and work with school leaders to create more opportunities for 60 minutes of daily physical activity and to make available more healthy foods. Since more than 50 percent of a student’s daily calories are consumed at school, the school environment is an ideal setting for teaching these healthy behaviors so they become lifelong habits.
Fuel Up to Play 60 builds upon existing National Football League and National Dairy Council programs, including NFL PLAY 60: The NFL Movement for an Active Generation, which encourages kids and their families to “get up and play an hour a day.” Fuel Up to Play 60 is based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommends consumption of nutrient-rich foods (such as low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats) and 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Learn more at www.FuelUpToPlay60.com or www.FuelUpToPlay60mediaresources.com.
Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program, affiliates of National Dairy Council®, provide nutrition education programs and services to schools in the Mid-Atlantic region. For more information, visit www.dairyspot.com.
All player participation arranged by NFL PLAYERS, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association.
Source: Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association & Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program
