The James Farrior Foundation

Program inspires kids to Play 60

By Joan Tupponce

CONTRIBUTING WRITER, CHESTERFIELD OBSERVER

Jacobs Road Elementary School students are starting their weeks with Motivational Mondays and ending them with Fitness Fridays to focus on healthy eating and physical activity during the Fuel Up to Play 60 program.

“The students are very excited about Fuel Up to Play 60,” said Caryn Herman, the school’s physical education teacher. “Many of our staff members are also excited and have joined our team to serve as role models.”

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program founded by the National Dairy Council and the National Football League. NFL Play 60 is the league’s campaign to encourage children to exercise 60 minutes a day. The Fuel Up portion encourages good nutrition. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also has joined the ef- fort.

This year, seven Chesterfield elementary schools – Matoaca, Spring Run, Hopkins, A.M. Davis, Crestwood, Wells and Jacobs Road – were awarded grant money to participate in the national program.

“With the grants, we are looking to involve students and student leaders,” said Ann Tierney, the school system’s instructional specialist for health and physical education. “Some schools are highlighting healthy foods with Fuel Up to Play 60 stickers. There are also some food samplings in every school. We are working closely with our food and nutrition services team.”

Jacobs Road’s student leader group has been meeting regularly to make suggestions for “Taste Test Thursdays,” where students sample a different food group each week for four weeks. The school is incorporating a different facet of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program each day of the week. Most activities will include all 675 students.

“This program is important to us because with childhood obesity on the rise, [it] offers opportunities for us to encourage children to focus on healthy eating and physical activity,” Herman said.

All of the schools except Wells also are participating in a pilot program sponsored by the James Farrior Foundation and the National Association of Managed Care Physicians. Farrior, a former Chesterfield resident, plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He and his brother, Matt, who also played football for the Steelers, are co-founders of the foundation.

“The foundation wanted to give back to Chesterfield to promote physical activity and nutrition,” Tierney said.

Students participating in the pilot program will have their body mass index information collected during three evening events, from October through May. They also will learn about nutrition and log what they eat into two journals. The journals will include a family activity that promotes exercise, as well.

“The idea is to see if the activity through Fuel Up to Play 60 and the nutritional component have made an impact on students and their families,” Tierney said.

Teaming up with the Fuel Up to Play 60 program was a natural fit for the James Farrior Foundation. Mike Ford, the foundation’s executive director, enlisted the aid of the National Association of Managed Care Physicians.

“We went to them to implement the pilot project and supply the metrics to measure success,” he said. “When all is said and done, [the results] will be published in the NAMCP Journal of Managed Care Medicine, and if it does show progress, [the program] was successful and had demonstrable impact. It will give Fuel Up to Play 60 the data that shows it works. It’s a win-win-win.”

Testimonials

Mrs.Heintzelman, I want to let you know that this program has made a positive impact to our family, specially to Jaden our 7 year old that refused to eat meat and vegetables. He is eating much healthier and is more willing to try new foods.

- Thank you,Yoly