PHILADELPHIA – Two Mid-Atlantic dairy farmers recently partnered with Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and National Football League (NFL®) players to launch the Fuel Up to Play 60 “Make Your Move” contest in which winning schools will receive grants to promote healthy eating and physical fitness.
Through the contest, schools will have a chance to win exclusive NFL prizes and funds to support in-school Fuel Up to Play 60 programs by submitting videos showing students “making their moves” through exercise or dance. In 2012, student participation in school breakfast increased 9 percent in schools that received Fuel Up to Play 60 grants to support healthy eating and physical activity programs.
Patty Leonard, a dairy farmer from Midland, Va., visited Kenilworth Elementary School in Bowie, Md., with Washington Redskins linebacker Darryl Tapp in late October.
In early November, more than 200 students from the Philadelphia City School District visited with dairy farmer Marilyn Hershey of Cochranville, and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Leonard and Hershey shared their family’s dairy stories and made the farm to table connection with Fuel Up to Play 60 student leaders and Program Advisors attending the kickoff events.
“The Fuel Up to Play 60 program is exhilarating, and I am proud to be a dairy farmer who supports the efforts,” Hershey said. “This program uses the NFL platform to reach school-aged children that we as farmers would never have the opportunity to reach. I enjoyed sharing a bit of our farm with them and seeing the excitement at Lincoln Financial Field.”
As NFL spokespersons for Fuel Up to Play 60, both Tapp and Ryans encouraged the student leaders at their respective locations to initiate physical activity programs in their schools and capture videos to submit in the “Make Your Move” video contest.
The Quaker Oats Company, a dairy checkoff partner, is fueling healthy families by donating a total of $125,000 to support grants awarded through the “Make Your Move” campaign.
Fuel Up to Play 60, a program created by dairy farmers, provided increased access to nutritious foods such as low-fat dairy products, wholesome grains and fruit for 14 million students in 2012.
Fuel Up to Play 60 was launched by National Dairy Council® and National Football League, in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture. The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods, including low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products, and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. More than 73,000 schools have active Program Advisors and student-lead teams making Fuel Up to Play 60 the nation’s largest in-school health and wellness program. For information about Fuel Up to Play 60, visit fueluptoplay60.com.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is sponsored locally by Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, a regional affiliate of National Dairy Council. Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program are the local planning and management organizations funded by dairy farmer checkoff dollars. They work closely with Dairy Management Inc.™ and are responsible for increasing demand for dairy products on behalf of Mid-Atlantic dairy farmers. For more information, visit dairyspot.com.
Source: Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association
