Pershing Middle School is participating in Fuel Up to Play 60 by holding a pep rally with Houston Texan Mascot, Toro, on Tuesday to demonstrate its commitment to making the school a healthier place.
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Daily Council, Dairy MAX and the NFL, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Houston Texan player DeMeco Ryans, and Marmion Dambrino, the new HISD athletic director, will make an appearance at the school to talk to the students about eating healthy and being active for 60 minutes a day. HISD Food Services Department will spotlight its new menu items created in partnership with its parent advisory panel.
“We’re excited to start another school year with Fuel Up to Play 60. The program really allows youth the opportunity to take control of their own health and work toward making their school environment healthier with their friends,” said Dairy MAX’s registered dietitian, Katie Barckholtz. “Our Kickoff Challenge this year is all about encouraging others to get involved, and the start of the school year offers a great opportunity for kids to complete that Challenge and really jump-start the program in their schools.”
The Fuel Up to Play 60 program works to empower youth to take action for their own health by providing an opportunity to implement long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. The program reaches more than 60,000 schools across the country.
“The NFL is a proud partner of Fuel Up to Play 60 and happy to serve as a role model to help inspire its young fans to make healthier choices,” said DeMeco Ryans. “This program is a great way to get kids excited about being active and eating a healthy diet.”
As part of Fuel Up to Play 60, enrolled schools receive a free School Wellness Kit with in-school collateral materials and planning tools to help implement healthy eating and physical activity “Plays” that can spark positive change in the school environment. Students can also participate in a series of five Fuel Up to Play 60 Challenges this year that can help educate and motivate them to showcase their talents and collaborate with their peers. The first Challenge is the Kickoff Challenge, which encourages students to get their school and friends excited about Fuel Up to Play 60 by creating a poster or video, planning a pep rally-like event or by simply decorating their school.
As youth go through the program, they are encouraged to consume nutrient-rich foods or low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The ultimate goal is to ensure changes made at school are sustainable and to provide children with more opportunities to be physically active and choose tasty, nutrient-rich foods at school.
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