Local district to receive financial resources through Fuel Up to Play 60 program for healthy eating and physical activity programs
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – (October 25, 2017) – The Lennox School District will receive $10,000 in funding to expand student health and wellness in a partnership between California’s dairy farm families and the Los Angeles Chargers through the Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP 60) program announced Tuesday. The $10,000 ‘Hometown Grant’ was awarded during a special school assembly at Jefferson Elementary School where students learned about the importance of fueling up with healthy foods and getting 60 minutes of physical activity a day from Hall of Fame Running Back LaDainian Tomlinson, Chargers players Desmond King and Austin Ekeler, and members of the Charger Girls.
“We are honored to be selected by the Los Angeles Chargers and the California Milk Advisory Board. The $10,000 grant will greatly enhance our student health and wellness programs,” said Kent Taylor, Superintendent of the Lennox School District. “Our District consists of 97% free and reduced students. Oftentimes communities like ours are overlooked, but the Los Angeles Chargers and the California Milk Advisory Board have not forgotten students in need, which demonstrate their kindness and ability to give. We look forward to having more opportunities to partner with these organizations in the future.”
The ‘Hometown Grant’ means students in the Lennox School District will join the 13 million students who are eating healthier, 16 million students who are being more active and 130,000 adults who are enrolled and empowering youth in the United States through one national program – Fuel Up to Play 60[1] (FUTP 60).
“California dairy families are dedicated to helping to build healthier kids and communities because we know that kids who eat well and are physically active do better in school and in life. This partnership with the Chargers helps to bring much needed resources into deserving school districts like Lennox to support their wellness goals – we’re excited to see what they will do,” said Jennifer Giambroni, Director of Communications for the California Milk Advisory Board/Real California Milk.
Developed by FUTP 60 and the National Football League (NFL), the ‘Hometown Grant’ program provides teams and farmer funded dairy organizations like Real California Milk with the opportunity to identify deserving schools and school districts and provide them with funding to help meet their health and wellness goals. Each of the 32 NFL Clubs are partnering with FUTP 60 and local dairy representatives to provide $10,000 grants in communities throughout the country totaling a $320,000 investment in youth health and wellness.
“Knowledge is power, and teaching kids how important it is to eat right, exercise and take care of their bodies will help them develop healthy habits that they can carry with them throughout their lives,” said Chargers President-Business Operations A.G. Spanos. “The Los Angeles Chargers are proud to support the Lennox School District and partner with California’s dairy families to stress the importance of getting 60 minutes of physical activity a day and provide kids a roadmap for how to lead a healthy life.”
Created in partnership by the NFL and National Dairy Council, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fuel Up to Play 60 is the nation’s largest in-school wellness program creating real transformational change in more than 73,000 schools nationwide. The national in-school nutrition and physical-activity program is activated in California by the state’s more than 1,300 dairy farm families. Since fall 2014, FUTP 60 has helped to award more than $565,000 in equipment and grants to schools throughout California in support of their wellness goals.
About the Los Angeles Chargers
For 57 seasons, the Chargers have led the fight to stretch the imagination and give fans the most exciting show in football. Behind the dramatic games, unforgettable highlights, beloved players, groundbreaking performances and one of the best uniforms in the NFL lies an uncompromising drive for success – one rooted in toughness, resilience and old-fashioned hard work. A charter member of the American Football League, the franchise was established in Los Angeles in 1960 and called the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum home during its first year of existence. From 1961 to 2016, the team played in San Diego. Advancing to five of the first six AFL Championship games ever played, the Chargers claimed the 1963 title and later joined the National Football League when the two leagues merged in 1970. Since the merger, the Chargers have gone on to appear in Super Bowl XXIX and have captured an additional 10 division titles. The Chargers were purchased by construction leader and real estate developer Alex G. Spanos in 1984 and have been under the guidance of Spanos’ eldest son Dean, the team’s current Chairman of the Board, since 1994. Dean Spanos’ sons – A.G. Spanos, President of Business Operations, and John Spanos, President of Football Operations – oversee the day-to-day operations of the franchise. The Chargers returned to Los Angeles in 2017 and will play all home games at StubHub Center while the new L.A. Stadium and Entertainment District at Hollywood Park is constructed. For more information, call 1-877-CHARGERS or visit chargers.com.
About Fuel Up to Play 60
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC), which was founded by America’s dairy farmers, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. The program additionally encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Because of the program, last year 13 million students made better food choices and 16 million are getting more physically active during the school day. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.
About Lennox School District
Lennox first began providing public education in 1910 with only one school—a four room, wood-frame structure with 50 students. Since these modest beginnings, the Lennox School District has grown to its current size and configuration of more than 5,100 students attending a preschool, five elementary schools, and a middle school. The Lennox community is an unincorporated 1.3 sq. mile area of Metropolitan Los Angeles situated between the cities of Hawthorne, Inglewood and the Los Angeles International Airport. The Lennox Board of Trustees strongly encourages community involvement as an essential element of effective schools. Lennox teachers, administrators and staff are highly dedicated to the task of addressing the needs of the whole child—academically, socially, physically, and emotionally—so that every child can achieve.