September 2011 Highlights « Back

Fuel Up to Play 60 in Illinois

Our contract with the St. Louis Rams has been approved for the next two seasons.  The Rams are our NFL partner on Fuel Up to Play 60, and the contract includes the use of player Chris Long.  He’ll be available for a photo shoot and for school assemblies.  We kicked off the football season with the Rams at Magic House in St. Louis on Aug. 13, serving yogurt parfaits and enjoying a visit from Rampage, the team mascot, and the cheerleaders.  Our next effort is to bring students who have excelled in activating Fuel Up to Play 60 to a game.   We also plan a Kids Clinic again this winter at the Rams’ training facility. 

Schools across northern Illinois kicked off the school year with Back to Football Friday and Fuel Up to Play 60 on Sept. 9 with activities featuring healthy eating and physical activity, including taste tests of nutrient-rich foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt. Schools have until Oct. 1 to apply for the next round of Fuel Up to Play 60 funding.  Partners such as the Illinois School Nutrition Association, the State Board of Education and the Illinois Association of School Nurses have all been promoting Fuel Up to Play 60 with information on the program.

The Fuel Up to Play 60 experience went to Soldier Field for the Sept. 1 Bears pre-season game versus Cleveland. Selected children participated on the field doing HOPSports physical activities, while the stadium Jumbotron featured nutrition messages by Roberto Garza and dairy producer highlights by Dale Drendel.

The Action for Healthy Kids - Get in the Action events begin this month and run through October at three Chicago schools and seven schools in DuPage Co. where Fuel Up to Play 60 will be highlighted in a variety of ways. Get in the Action promotes school and community involvement to take action for healthy kids.  The debut Sept. 20 was at Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook; to learn more visit www.actionforhealthykids.org/party. School and community stakeholders, health and wellness partners, local healthcare facilities and others were involved.  A ‘hydration station’ featured milk sampling by Midwest Dairy with milk provided by Cloverleaf Farms.  Earlier this year, Midwest Dairy played a key role in the Action for Health Kids 4th Annual A to Z School Wellness Conference in Decatur, offering yogurt and milk and moderating a session.   Panelists there talked about how Fuel Up to Play 60 funding helped them create a healthier school environment.

This summer, Midwest Dairy Association and the St. Louis District Dairy Council sponsored a break at the annual Illinois Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics conference in Lisle.  About 150 pediatricians from around the state attended, enjoying milk and visiting our exhibit that highlighted Fuel Up to Play 60.   They were encouraged to fill out a short survey on the program for a chance to win an autographed mini Bears football. 

We’ve also received a certificate of support for Fuel Up to Play 60 from the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians. Obesity prevention is one of the group’s top priorities this year, and their executive director says they envision using Fuel Up to Play 60 in the same way that they used their Tar Wars (anti-smoking) campaign.

Other Illinois Updates

Our work with Cardinals baseball is actually funded by the farm groups in Missouri, including Midwest Dairy Association.  Radio advertising and a Jumbotron feature include Fredbird the mascot and a dairy farmer.  We’ve also had dairy producers on hand before several games, talking with fans and handing out recipes, trading cards and other goodies.  This past weekend was Dairy Day at Busch Stadium, and we handed out a growth poster featuring dairy and Fredbird.  This month at three games, health and food professionals, and retailers will be treated to a game. 

We had a really good Illinois State Fair again in 2011!  It was great to actually see many of you and many of my friends.  You would be so proud to see the beautiful remodel and how well it works for set-up and ultimately food safety for your dairy products there.  Thanks to all of you who stopped by and especially those who volunteered your time to help with your dairy promotions.  Illinois State Fair attendance was up 10 percent and estimated at 817,393.  Unfortunately, our sales were down about 3 percent, reflecting our lower milk price.  The good news is that we sold a lot of it!