Fuel Up to Play 60 and Healthy Zone School Recognition Program® Launch Three-Year Pilot

On Tuesday, February 25, 2014, at AT&T Stadium, an unprecedented collaboration was announced between the nation’s leading organizations in youth health and wellness that could turn the tides in the fight against childhood obesity across the country, starting in Arlington ISD. The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and Cooper Institute® Healthy Zone School Recognition Program® is expanding through a collaborative partnership with the Dallas Cowboys, the National Football League, GENYOUth, Dairy MAX, and their Fuel Up to Play 60 physical activity and nutrition program. The result of this collaboration is a rigorous two-fold platform honoring schools for their healthy practices and assisting schools in pursuit of the same.

A strong community, including business leaders, food and beverage companies, health professionals, community organizers, teachers and students, were on hand to acknowledge their support of the effort to take place in Arlington schools. Dallas Cowboys ownership, players, cheerleaders and mascot Rowdy; corporate donors to the projects; city and school district officials, including Arlington mayor Dr. Robert Cluck and Arlington ISD superintendent Dr. Marcelo Cavazos, and representatives from all participating organizations were amongst those in attendance for the announcement.

 

“We are incredibly honored to be a part of what we believe will be a great success story in way of improving childhood health in Arlington and across the country,” said Cowboys executive vice president and chief brand officer Charlotte Jones Anderson. “The vast tools and resources available through Fuel Up to Play 60 paired with the Healthy Zone Schools’ competitive recognition program is a formula we think can create positive, healthy environments for schools everywhere for the long term.”

The collaborative program begins with Arlington ISD schools joining the more than 73,000 schools that already participate in FUTP60 nationwide. FUTP60, the flagship program of GENYOUth, empowers students, teachers and community leaders to bring about healthy changes in their schools. Schools may join FUTP60 for free and receive a toolkit consisting of healthy “plays” for better nutrition and physical activity, and in implementing those plays, become eligible for grants of up to $4,000 annually.