ST. PAUL – As part of a national movement to tackle childhood obesity, Midwest Dairy Council and the Minnesota Vikings are teaming up with schools throughout the state, kicking off with the Fuel Up to Play 60 Training Day 2010 on Thursday, October 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. More than 250 Fuel Up to Play 60 student leaders and their advisors from 14 schools will join forces on Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome to learn nutrition and physical activity tips to share with their classmates during this hands-on, educational event.
Training Day 2010 is designed to rally Fuel Up to Play 60 student leaders to encourage their peers to make healthier food choices and commit to 60 minutes of activity each day as part of Fuel Up to Play 60, an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council and National Football League, in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture. The program, in which more than 60,000 schools nationwide and more than 1,250 schools across Minnesota are involved, encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
Training Day 2010 will include healthy eating discussions with Midwest Dairy Council registered dietitian Carolyn Suerth Hudson and Princess Kay of the Milky Way Katie Miron, physical fitness activities with Viktor the Vikings mascot and Vikings staff, a motivational fitness talk with Vikings alumni player Bob Lurtsema. It also will include nutritious meals and snacks and ideas to help students share what they learn with their classmates. Highlights include:
•9:30 – 10:15 a.m.: Welcome, overview and kick-off with entire group led by Viktor, Princess Kay of the Milky Way Katie Miron, a Minnesota dairy farmer, Vikings and Midwest Dairy Council staff
•10:15 – 11:30 a.m.: Activity sessions with all students participating in relay races, agility station and football toss
•12:15 – 1 p.m.: Large-group nutrition discussion led by Midwest Dairy Council registered dietitian Carolyn Suerth Hudson, motivational fitness talk led by Vikings alumni player Bob Lurtsema and Q&A
Obesity is an alarming, rapidly growing concern across the country, with the number of U.S. children and adolescents – now at 23 percent in Minnesota – tripling over the past 30 years.
“Understanding how to eat a balanced diet and be active for good health is a critical, life-long lesson to learn at a young age,” says Julie Mattson Ostrow, Midwest Dairy Council Program Manager for Minneapolis schools. “Training Day 2010 is designed to empower the people who are most influential to grade-school and high-school students – their friends – to make a difference in their schools.”
“We’re excited to team with Midwest Dairy Council on the Fuel Up to Play 60 initiative,” says Minnesota Vikings Vice President, Sales and Marketing/Chief Marketing Officer Steve LaCroix. “The enthusiasm and ideas we’re sparking at Training Day 2010 will have a lasting impact on Minnesota’s students, as participants take the lessons they learn about nutrition and physical activity back to their schools.”
Schools participating in the Fuel Up to Play 60 Training Day event include:
•Andersen United, Minneapolis
•Anwatin Middle, Minneapolis
•Battle Creek/Hazel Park, St. Paul
•Falcon Ridge Middle, Rosemount/Apple Valley/Eagan
•Green Central Park Community, Minneapolis
•Greenvale Elementary, Northfield
•Jefferson, Minneapolis
•Lucy Craft Laney, Minneapolis
•Marcy Open, Minneapolis
•Northeast Middle, Minneapolis
•Sanford Middle, Minneapolis
•Seward Montessori, Minneapolis
•Sullivan Community, Minneapolis
•Washington Technology Middle, St. Paul
About Midwest Dairy Council
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