Cedar Park Awarded Grant for Nutrition, Fitness Activities

Cedar Park Elementary students soon will be getting a nutrition and exercise boost.

Cedar Park has been chosen from hundreds of applicant schools across the country to receive $4,000 from the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, according to a press release. The nationwide funding program offers schools up to $4,000 to help educate and provide students with nutritious foods and physical activity opportunities.

Cedar Park plans to use the grant for several activities, including:

• holding drawings for prizes among students who log their physical activity and healthy food choices;
• having student ambassadors create skits on nutrition and present them to other students;
• giving students nutrition education and taste tests;
• purchasing healthy snacks for the spring walk/bike to school day;
• awarding prizes for participating in walk/run club during recess.

“Fuel Up to Play 60 has really taken off in District 196," said Melissa Young, health and wellness director with Midwest Dairy Council, in the press release. "Wellness champions and students in nearly 10,000 schools across the Midwest have embraced the program, and these funds will help many of the participating schools to do even more."   

Cedar Park's grant is funded by the Midwest Dairy Council, which includes dairy farmers from 10 Midwest states. Fuel Up to Play 60 is a partnership that involves the National Football League, National Dairy Council and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Paideia Academy in Apple Valley received a $10,000 grant from NFL Play 60 late last year.