SYRACUSE, N.Y. – American Dairy Association North East’s Refuel with Chocolate Milk campaign is reaching tens of thousands of student athletes in the six-state region through local and national sports organizations.
“Refuel with Chocolate Milk is the core of dairy checkoff’s sports marketing strategy,” said ADA North East CEO Rick Naczi. “We’re able to share the important health benefits of chocolate milk with a very targeted group that can ultimately help boost sales.”
Scientific evidence shows that lowfat chocolate milk used as a recovery drink helps repair and rebuild muscles after strenuous exercise because of its 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio. Chocolate milk is also a source of B vitamins that help convert food to energy.
ADA North East helped secure chocolate milk as the official beverage of the New York State Public Schools Athletic Association, Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Maryland Public Schools Secondary Athletic Association, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association and Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association. Chocolate milk is also part championship events with Public Schools Athletic Association in New York City and white milk with the District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association.
Each year across the region ADA North East sponsors 135 high school sports state championships, providing 50,000 athletes the chance to refuel with chocolate milk, and nearly 15,000 coaches and athletic directors get year-round dairy nutrition information.
Other sponsorships include several local marathons and the National Double Dutch jump rope competition in New York City.
ADA North East also has a sponsorship with the New York Yankees to help fight the increasing rate of childhood obesity. By joining forces, Refuel with Chocolate Milk sponsored Yankee youth baseball summer camps in 13 towns to reach youth with milk’s important nutrition information, and specifically hosted 80 youth from the Bronx to participate in the camps.
Yankee Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera joined the 80 campers to promote healthy eating, especially the role low-fat chocolate milk plays in the body’s ability to recover after training. Rivera notably commented on his game-day practice of drinking chocolate milk that he believes helped boost his storied 19-year professional career.
In addition, Yankees Manager Aaron Boone recorded a public service announcement about the Summer Meals program in New York City that provides children access to healthy foods and dairy products when school is out for the summer months. Boone also provided a signed Yankees jersey offered in a drawing for those who shared the Facebook post with the PSA.
To learn more about ADA North East’s sports marketing programs, visit www.AmericanDairy.com/dairy-in-sports.
Photo caption: A camper sponsored by American Dairy Association North East to attend the Yankees summer baseball camps listens to former player Mariano Rivera talk about refueling with chocolate milk after strenuous exercising.
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About American Dairy Association North East
American Dairy Association North East (ADA North East) is the dairy farmer-funded organization funded by participating dairy farmer’s checkoff investment to build demand and sales for milk and dairy foods throughout the local region. Representing nearly 11,000 dairy farm families in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia, ADA North East develops and implements local programs to drive milk and dairy sales at retail outlets and in schools. The organization also conducts consumer education about dairy through events, traditional and social media, and in collaboration with health professionals through National Dairy Council®. ADA North East works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™, the national dairy checkoff organization, to support nutrition research, national partnerships and developing export markets for dairy to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the region. For more information, visit www.AmericanDairy.com.
