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| A $3,000 grant was presented to Neely's Bend Middle School to help expand its fitness and nutrition goals. |
"We are so proud of our students," said Neely's Bend principal Dr. Antionette Williams. "We know that childhood obesity rates are climbing, and we know that teaching students about good nutrition and encouraging them to get active are two easy ways to combat the disease and help them live fuller lives. To see the level of excitement and participation we've seen this year is beyond words. Our students and our faculty have outdone themselves, and I truly believe our entire school community has benefited and will continue to benefit from this program."
FUTP60 is a partnership of the National Football League, the National Dairy Council and the United States Department of Agriculture. It encourages students to engage in physical activity for 60 minutes each day and fuel their bodies with nutrient-rich foods. Schools involved in the program tracked their healthy eating and physical activity behaviors every day through the online program.
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| Former Titans safety Blaine Bishop leads students from Nealy's Bend Middle School in a round of "Play 60" activity. |
At Neely's Bend, more than 155 students at Neely's Bend joined the healthy eating initiative; 180 participated in the physical activity initiative. Neely's Bend Middle School staff purchased instructional materials about good nutrition and physical activities and the benefits of both. The school offered Saturday sessions for students through which they engaged in a variety of activities to learn about incorporating healthy habits into their daily lives. Students were also encouraged to participate through school contests and incentives such as a skating party for the top participants, backpack giveaways and other small prizes.
"We wanted the students to learn the benefits of being health and active, but also have fun," said Dr. Williams. "And at the end of this contest, I would say we absolutely accomplished both goals."
FUTP60 is a youth-led program that encourages students to play for 60 minutes each day and fuel their bodies with nutrient-rich foods. The National Football League, the National Dairy Council and the United States Department of Agriculture recently partnered to fight and defeat childhood obesity with the FUTP60 campaign.
To recognize the school and to raise awareness of this initiative, the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA) held a press event on Tuesday, May 25, that featured state Health and Education officials, Commissioner of Agriculture Ken Givens, retired Tennessee Titan Blaine Bishop and some of Neely's Bend's top-performing students.
Bishop led the students and participants in a warm-up exercise; three Neely's Bend students spoke about their experiences in the program; and the event wrapped up with the presentation of a $3,000 grant to help Neely's Bend Middle School expand its fitness and nutrition goals.
ABOUT FUTP60
FUTP60 is funded with an initial private sector financial commitment of $250 million over five years by America's
Dairy Farmers. More than 45 percent of Southeast schools are incorporating the FUTP60 program, impacting about
5.8 million students.
ABOUT METRO SCHOOLS
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools serve more than 76,000 students with the goal of being the first choice for families in Nashville and Davidson County. The governing body for MNPS is the Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County Board of Public Education, a nine-member group elected by residents of Metropolitan Nashville.
For more information, please visit www.mnps.org.
