Giant Food, the Baltimore Ravens, and Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, the local dairy farmers who supply Giant milk, have teamed up to provide $25,000 in grants to local schools through the National Dairy Council and NFL's Fuel Up to Play 60 program. As a culmination of the joint effort to curb childhood obesity and encourage health and wellness in local schools, Giant and Maryland & Virginia presented a check on Friday, December 20th to a Baltimore-area school receiving a portion of the grant. The presentation will take place as part of Giant's 'Ravens Tailgaters' event at the Giant Food store at 8100 Loch Raven Blvd. in Towson, MD.
Giant and Maryland & Virginia are proud to support Fuel Up to Play 60, the nation's largest in-school nutrition and physical activity program, which was founded under the leadership of America's dairy farmers in partnership with the National Football League. The program is in more than 73,000 schools nationwide and helps more than 14 million students make better food choices by selecting nutritious options such as low-fat and fat-free dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
The grant to Fuel Up to Play 60 reflects Giant Food's and Maryland &Virginias' commitment to promoting health and wellness in local communities and to supporting area schools. Our Lady of Hope-St. Luke School of Dundalk, MD will receive a portion of the $25,000 grant, and students and school representatives will be on hand at the event to accept the ceremonial check. "Seeing schools earn grant money is very rewarding," said Jay Bryant, Maryland & Virginia's CEO. "It shows our dairy farmers and our partner Giant Food, that our joint efforts are worthwhile and providing valuable nutrition and physical exercise opportunities for children in schools."
The in-store program coordinated by Giant and Maryland & Virginia included point-of-sale materials featuring the Fuel Up to Play 60 logo in the dairy aisle of over 100 Giant stores across Maryland, Delaware, Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia, as well as materials featuring the Baltimore Ravens Fuel Up to Play 60 logo in over 50 stores in the Baltimore area. Portions of the $25,000 grant will be distributed to schools throughout Giant's footprint that are making positive changes through their participation in Fuel Up to Play 60.
Maryland & Virginia, which represents the farmers that supply Giant stores with Giant milk, is proud to support local schools. Their successful collaboration with Giant Food has provided both organizations an opportunity to give back to the local community and support the continued efforts of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program in local schools. To learn more about the Fuel Up to Play 60 program or to join the movement, please visit www.FuelUpToPlay60.com.
About Maryland & Virginia Cooperative Association
Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative is a milk marketing and processing cooperative supplying consumers and customers throughout the Mid-Atlantic area and internationally with high quality milk, dairy products and dairy ingredients. Owned and supplied by more than 1,500 dairy farm families from Pennsylvania to Florida, Maryland & Virginia operates three fluid processing plants; Marva Maid of Newport News, Va., Marva Maid of Landover, Md., and Maola Milk and Ice Cream Company in New Bern, N.C.; as well as two manufacturing plants, one in Laurel, Md. and Valley Milk in Strasburg, Va. The cooperative also operates a farm supply warehouse business in Frederick, Md. For more information, visit www.mdvamilk.com.
About Giant Food of Landover, Md.
Giant Food LLC, headquartered in Landover, Md., operates 170 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs approximately 20,000 associates. Included within the 169 stores are 156 full-service pharmacies. Giant opened the first supermarket in the nation's capital on February 6, 1936. Giving back to the community is a cornerstone that was instilled by the founders more than 77 years ago. The company's core areas of giving include hunger, education, health and wellness, and supporting service members and military families. In 2012, Giant's monetary and in-kind contributions exceeded $12 million, and the nation's capital grocer helped partners provide 55.2 million meals. For more information on Giant, visit www.GiantFood.com.
About Fuel Up to Play 60
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC), which was founded by America's dairy farmers, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. Customizable and non-prescriptive program components are grounded in research with youth, including tools and resources, in-school promotional materials, a website and student contests. Fuel Up to Play 60 is further supported by several health and nutrition organizations: Action for Healthy Kids, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Association/Foundation, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.
Source: Giant Food of Landover, Md.
