Pierce Middle School has been chosen to receive $1,864 to support its Fuel Up to Play 60 initiative, the New England Dairy & Food Council announced today. Pierce Middle School was selected from among hundreds of schools across the country that applied for funding to help them jumpstart and sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity improvements. This nationwide funding program offers schools up to $4,000 to help them increase awareness of and access to nutrient-rich foods and physical activity opportunities for students. Funding for this program is provided by New England Dairy & Food Council and the dairy farmers of Massachusetts.
L to R: John Phelan, Milton Asst Superintendent, Jill Read, Nutrition Specialist, New England Dairy & Food Council, Jackie Morgan, Milton School Nutrition Director
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.
Pierce Middle School received $1,864 to implement a fruit and yogurt smoothie offering as a part of its breakfast program. The school’s food service department will use the funds to purchase a Vitamix® Blender that will allow the school to make fresh fruit smoothies for students Monday-Friday. The school will promote the new options by offering students one free smoothie on the day of the program’s debut. Next school year, school food service programs will be federally mandated to have a fruit requirement for school breakfast. By implementing this smoothie program, Pierce Middle School will be able to meet the mandatory fruit requirement for breakfast in the student-approved form of nutrient-rich smoothies. The initiative will also help to increase breakfast participation for the school. The smoothie program is hugely supported by Pierce Middle School’s principal, Dr. Karen Spaulding, as well as the Milton superintendent.
“Our superintendent, Mary C. Gormley, is a huge supporter of school breakfast. She is encouraging every school to get involved with school breakfast, and we’re hoping that by offering smoothies at Pierce Middle School, we will help to drive our breakfast participation,” said Jackie Morgan, School Nutrition Director for Milton Public Schools.
More than 73,000 schools across the United States are participating in Fuel Up to Play 60. Developed 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-dense foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Multiple health organizations and several major corporations also support Fuel Up to Play 60.
“Fuel Up to Play 60 has really taken off in Milton. Wellness champions and students throughout the district have embraced the program, and these funds will help Pierce Middle School do even more,” said Jill Read, RD, LDN, Nutrition Specialist with New England Dairy & Food Council.
Schools, parents and students can learn more about Fuel Up to Play 60 at FuelUpToPlay60.com. Schools can learn more about eligibility requirements, and find the Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 application, at FuelUpToPlay60.com. There are several application windows each year, including the upcoming deadline in June 2014.