May 2012 Highlights « Back
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Fuel Up to Play 60 in Minnesota
The alignment of Vikings player Asher Allen’s interest in healthy eating and cooking has turned into an exciting new project for Midwest Dairy. Asher has agreed to write a blog and contribute his own recipes containing dairy ingredients for Midwest Dairy’s website. Asher is donating his time to motivate youth and adults to eat healthier, get active and start cooking by discussing his personal experiences in a quarterly Web post. The first blog will offer his perspective on our recent Training Day, Minnesota’s youth summit at the Metrodome, where he was a featured speaker and helped lead HOPSports activities on the field. Future topics will be Cooking with Dairy, Getting Fit and Healthy, and the Importance of Breakfast. The Vikings are in discussion about ways they can publicize Asher’s blog on their social media properties.
Minnesota Vikings running back Toby Gerhart, #32, visited Pilot Knob Stem Magnet School in Eagan late last month for an assembly to reward students for their success with Fuel Up to Play 60. It was the inaugural appearance with us for Gerhart, a Stanford graduate and runner-up for the 2009 Heisman Trophy. He spoke to students about being an NFL player and the importance of healthy eating, daily activity and being a good student. Minnesota Division Board member Charles Krause of Buffalo joined him, talking to the kids about dairy farming and answering questions. Pilot Knob Stem Magnet students have been busy implementing Fuel Up to Play 60 healthy eating and physical activity “plays” since fall of 2011. Most recently, its student wellness team produced a cooking video that they submitted for a national Fuel Up to Play 60 contest.
Annalisa Hultberg and Jenny Hinman of Harriet Bishop Elementary School in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage District share the distinction of being appointed 2012 Program Co-Advisors of the Year in Minnesota. To honor their win, the school will receive a Vikings alumni player appearance. Annalisa is a district wellness coordinator and has helped four schools successfully apply for Fuel Up to Play 60 funds. Her goal is to have all 10 elementary schools receive grants by the end of the 2013 school year. Jenny Hinman, school secretary and school wellness lead, has been instrumental to the success of the school’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program. She has been the point person for the students, staff and principal to organize these events and make sure the program runs as planned.
Midwest Dairy played a key role at the first ever Minnesota Food and Nutrition Expo put on by the Minnesota Dietetic Association earlier this year. Key players from the association sported our Vikings customized logo Fuel Up to Play 60 shirts, and led the attendees with a fun and interactive game interspersed with facts about school foodservice including a question on Fuel Up to Play 60. Fuel Up to Play 60 video messages from both Vikings player Chad Greenway and Coach Frazier were shown and our own registered dietitian,Carolyn Hudson, the current president of the Minnesota Dietetic Association also played a key role.
We’ve set a meeting for next month with the assistant state commissioner of health to discuss the possibility of a statewide breakfast challenge and to provide information as well as a request to support Fuel Up to Play 60.
Other Minnesota Updates
Congratulations to the Minnesota Division Board members who were elected to office during Midwest Dairy’s Annual Meeting held earlier this month. Division officers are:
• Chairman – Ken Herbranson, Clitherall;
• Vice Chairman – Dan Grunhovd, Gary;
• Secretary - Suzanne Vold, Glenwood; and
• Treasurer – Ron Rinkel, Hillman.
The Minnesota Dairy Promotion Council, a quasi-governmental group with the same board members, elected the following:
• Chairman – Kathleen Skiba, North Branch;
• Vice Chairman – Charles Krause, Buffalo;
• Secretary – Judy Hoffman, Waseca;
• Treasurer – Christine Sukalski, LeRoy; and
• Executive member at-large – Ron Rinkel, Hillman.
Our annual Dairy Princess Promotion Workshop and Princess Kay Finalist Selection Event is coming up May 18-20 in St. Joseph. One of the highlights this year will be an appearance by Betty Thompson, a former Jersey Queen and a dairy farm girl who is currently Miss Oklahoma and was first runner-up to Miss America. She uses dairy and dairy nutrition as her platform and will speak to the dairy princesses on Friday night. We’ll announce the new Princess Kay finalists at a luncheon at 12 noon on Sunday, May 20. If you’d like tickets, please email seena.glessing@gmail.com before May 11. You are welcome to come free of charge if you don’t care to eat lunch. We’ll also announce the finalists live on Princess Kay’s Facebook page that day, and post the photo and results at midwestdairycheckoff.com by Monday morning. Good luck to the competitors!