Checkoff Update - September 2011 « Back

HEADLINES

Smart Slice Pizza Expands – Checkoff helped to develop the pizza.  Read more...

Breakfast Grants Awarded – Six Midwest schools receive money. Read more...

Join the myDairy Network – Get regular updates on issues and opportunities.  Read more... 

Twitter Party Covers Back to School – Participants number 125.  Read more...

Fuel Up to Play 60 – 10,000 Midwest schools enrolled this fall.  Read more...

PROMOTION UPDATES

Smart Slice Pizza Expands in Schools
Domino’s Smart Slice – which satisfies increasingly stringent school nutrition guidelines – will be delivered to more than 2,088 schools representing more than 317 districts this year. The dairy checkoff chefs collaborated with Domino’s to develop the Smart Slice line, including the Bellroni Pie that uses light mozzarella and provolone, and the Cheezzzilla Pizza that blends five cheeses while staying in line with nutrition guidelines. Most U.S. schools serve frozen pizza and most students prefer pizza to foods such as chicken nuggets and hamburgers, according to NPD Group research. However, of those students surveyed who select pizza, only 25 percent say they “like it a lot” and that “it tastes great.” In contrast, Domino’s Smart Slice delivers a nutritious, kid-approved solution that helps increase school meal participation – a win-win for students and school nutrition directors.

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Breakfast Grants Awarded to Six Schools
Six Midwest Dairy Schools received Fuel Up™ Breakfast Grants co-sponsored by General Mills Foodservice and the National Dairy Council® through the checkoff. The grants were awarded to help improve student access to high-quality, nutritious foods at school. These grants specifically target breakfast, providing funds to help schools to expand their breakfast programs with an emphasis on alternative breakfast options that are sustainable. More than 270 applications were received. The six grantees from our states are:

• Mo. - Lee’s Summit: Pointe Elementary School - $1,000, and Lee’s Summit: Meadow Lane Elementary - $2,000;
• Ark. - Prairie Grove: Prairie Grove Middle School - $2,200;
• Neb. - Lincoln Public Schools: Lincoln High School - $2,500;
• Minn. - Hopkins Independent Schools: Eisenhower Elementary- $3,000; and
• Iowa – Norwalk Community Schools: Lakewood Elementary - $1,000.

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FOR YOUR INFORMATION

Get Updated by myDairy Network
Are you a part of myDairy yet? If you use the Internet for social media, or if you simply want updates on issues and advice on how to address them, myDairy can help. This network of dairy enthusiasts from across the country provides regular updates on how to talk about dairy with your neighbors and friends, access to a website providing social media advice and instruction, and monthly updates and webinars. You can sign up to be a member of the myDairy network by contacting the Producer Service Center at 1-877-360-FARM (3276). 

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Twitter Party Makes New Followers
A Twitter party on Sept. 8 sparked engaging conversation around the party’s theme, Back to School, Back to Breakfast.  Our co-hosts and registered dietitians, Steph Cundith and Char Heer, tweeted with moms for one hour, sharing dairy and nutrition messages. The party also highlighted Fuel Up to Play 60, tips for serving a balanced breakfast and how to encourage healthy habits and physical activity for children.  We tracked 125 active party participants. During the one-hour party, 1,500 tweets were recorded with the “#dairymom” hashtag.  Steph, Char and Midwest Dairy each gained approximately 40 new Twitter followers as a result of the party, about a third of all party attendees.

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FUEL UP TO PLAY 60 UPDATES

Schools Begin Year with Fuel Up to Play 60
National Dairy Council, Midwest Dairy Council and the National Football League are kicking off the new school year with Fuel Up to Play 60, an in-school health and wellness program that encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve 60 minutes of physical activity every day. More than eight million students in 70,000 schools nationwide, including 10,000 Midwest schools, have been enrolled in the program to be healthy, get active and make a difference. In fact, Midwest Dairy Council awarded funds to 176 schools in our 10-state territory during the 2010-2011 school year to help them jump-start and champion school wellness efforts.

Fuel Up to Play 60 “Playbook” has Farming Link
The Playbook used by school Fuel Up to Play 60 teams has two new Plays that raise awareness about farming, and bring dairy into the frame. The “From Farm to School: Know Your Foods” Play will help students understand where fresh, nutritious foods (including dairy) come from. The “From Farm to School: Farms Deliver” Play will raise student awareness of farms in each state and give particular emphasis to the role that dairy farmers play in Fuel Up to Play 60. Plays can be found on FuelUptoPlay60.com in the online Playbook.

Back to School, Back to Football Challenge
The Back to School, Back to Football Challenge is open through October 10, encouraging youth to show off how they are kicking off the program by creating a Fuel Up to Play 60 commercial. Youth are encouraged to get their whole school involved and tell us what they are most excited for this school year. The winning submission will receive a Super Bowl package for two.

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