ST. PAUL, Minn. — Midwest Dairy Council today named 84 schools from nine Midwest states, including Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and eastern Oklahoma, to receive $139,644 to support their Fuel Up to Play 60 initiatives. Schools across the country applied for funding to help them jumpstart and sustain nutrition and physical activity improvements. Funding for this competitive program is provided by the Midwest Dairy Council, on behalf of Midwest dairy farmers.
Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 provide support for a variety of activities and tools, such as foodservice materials and equipment, nutrition and physical education materials, student and staff incentives, staff development and overall Fuel Up to Play 60 implementation in an effort to champion school wellness.
More than 60,000 schools across the United States are participating in Fuel Up to Play 60. Launched by National Dairy Council, local dairy councils and National Football League (NFL), in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Multiple health organizations and several major corporations are also supporting Fuel Up to Play 60, now in its second year.
"Fuel Up to Play 60 has really taken off with wellness champions and students in more than 8,000 Midwest schools embracing the program. These funds will help many of the participating schools engage in more student wellness initiatives," said Melissa Young, director of Fuel Up to Play 60 and program manager for Midwest Dairy Council. "I encourage all schools enrolled in Fuel Up to Play 60 to apply for up to $3,000 to help them increase awareness of and access to nutrient-rich foods and physical activity opportunities for students."
To learn more about eligibility requirements, and find the Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 application, visit FuelUpToPlay60.com. There are several application windows each year, including upcoming deadlines on December 1, 2010, February 15, 2011 and June 15, 2011.
Midwest Dairy Council is the nutrition education division of Midwest Dairy Association. The Council's mission is to promote a healthy diet through nutrition education and the use of dairy products to consumers, health professionals and teachers. Midwest Dairy Council is funded by check-off dollars from dairy farmers in a nine-state region that includes: Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. For more information, visit www.midwestdairy.com. Follow us on Twitter and find us on Facebook at Midwest Dairy.
Source: Midwest Dairy Association