ROSEMONT, IL
Fuel Up to Play 60, the nation’s largest in-school nutrition and physical activity program is celebrating five years of making healthy changes in schools across the country. Based on this success, the National Dairy Council (NDC), National Football League (NFL), GENYOUth Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Education have recommitted their efforts and assets to continue this program for five more years. This will be an additional $250 million public/private partnership, according to a press release.
“Public/private partnerships like Fuel Up to Play 60 are the blueprint to change the health and well-being of our nation’s youth and we invite other health-minded organizations and individuals to join us in our efforts to support healthier, higher achieving students,” said GENYOUth Foundation CEO Alexis Glick. Founded in 2011, GENYOUth Foundation is the result of a public/private partnership between the NDC and the NFL.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Football League (NFL) and the National Dairy Council (NDC). The goal of the program is to encourage youth to consume low-fat and fat-free dairy as well as other nutrient-rich foods, in order to achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
“America’s dairy farmers have always had a long-standing commitment to the health and wellness of America’s children,” said Jerry Messer, dairy farmer and Chairman of the National Dairy Council.
In the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, kids work with adult advisors to find new ways to increase access to nutritious foods and physical activity in the school building. Examples include forming intramural sports leagues and developing healthy cooking classes for students.
“The NFL and its 32 teams are proud to continue working with the state and regional dairy councils to inspire kids to lead healthy lives. We are committed to creating change in the physical activity environment in schools,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.