NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans honored 10 middle school students from each Titans Tuesday school that have been recognized as 2014 ambassadors for the NFL Fuel Up to Play 60 campaign.
The NFL Play 60 campaign is designed to tackle childhood obesity by getting kids active through in-school, afterschool and team-based programs. The Southeast Dairy Association and the Titans work together to help make wellness part of the game plan in Tennessee schools through the "Fuel Up to Play 60" campaign. The program encourages schools to make healthy changes in students' eating habits and physical activity.
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"We are excited about the opportunity to expand the Fuel Up To Play 60 program in Tennessee schools through this Fuel UP to Play 60 Tennessee Titans Home Town Grant," said Joan Benton, manager of school health and wellness with Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, Inc. "Healthy students are better students, which is what Fuel Up To Play 60 is all about! The program, launched by the National Dairy Council and the NFL, is focused on getting students to 'fuel up' with nutrient-rich foods like low-fat & fat-free milk, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and to 'get up and play' for at least 60 minutes a day."
Titans cornerback Jason McCourty partnered as an ambassador with the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association this year to encourage students to 'Fuel Up' with healthy foods so they can get up and be active for 60 minutes a day.
"It means a lot to me to be able to reach out to kids all across Tennessee and spread the message about Fuel Up to Play 60," said McCourty. "Programs like these are one of the reasons I love being a Tennessee Titan!"
Also recognized on-field was Johnsie Holt, lead coordinator and school health specialist of Metropolitan Nashville public schools, who accepted a check in the amount of $10,000 for the Hometown Grant program.
The NFL Fuel Up to Play 60 – Tennessee Titans Hometown Grant program focuses on priority school districts in the Tennessee Titans market. The NFL committed $10,000 to Fuel Up to Play 60 and the Titans are providing five Home Town grants of $2,000 to five Metro-Davidson county schools to improve access to healthy eating and physical activity initiates.
"We would like to thank the Titans and the Southeast United Dairy Association for selecting Metro Schools for the Hometown Grant Program! This grant will enable five of our schools to implement programming to increase opportunities for students to learn more about the importance of eating well and staying active. The schools were selected based on proposals they submitted detailing how the funding would be used in their school to positively impact student health and support their Fuel Up to Play 60 program," said Holt.
The schools receiving the grants are Glenview Elementary, H. G. Hill Middle, Westmeade Elementary, Thurgood Marshall Middle and Goodlettsville Middle.
Many schools lack the resources to execute school wellness and this is why the Southeast Dairy Association, on behalf of dairy farmer families, is proud to support schools in the fight for healthier kids with the opportunities for Fuel Up to Play 60 schools to write for grants to kick-off or enhance their wellness plan in their schools.
The funds from the Hometown Grants can be utilized by the receiving schools in many ways to optimize healthy eating and physical activity based on local needs and interests. This could range from vending machine wraps to support smart snacking, improving school breakfasts and summer feeding programs to physical activity equipment.
"It's programs like this that allow us to make a true impact in our community. Schools will use these additional resources to help children across the state continue to learn about eating healthy and the benefits of playing 60 minutes every day." said Brad McClanahan, Titans director of marketing.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council, the Southeast Dairy Association and the NFL. It's all about getting students to 'Fuel Up' with nutrient-rich foods missing from their diets, like low-fat and fat-free milk and milk products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and to 'get-up and play' for 60 minutes a day. New research shows that better nutrition starting with breakfast, coupled with increased physical activity can lead to better academic achievement.
Whether you are a parent, educator or friend, you can have a positive influence and make a difference in a child's life by encouraging them to eat well and play for 60 minutes a day.
