California Dairy Families and the Los Angeles Rams Award Inglewood Unified School District $10,000 Grant to Support Student Wellness

Fuel Up to Play 60 'Hometown Grant' supports student access to nutritious foods, physical activity resources for healthy schools and communities

News provided by

California Milk Advisory Board

Oct 11, 2017, 16:10 ET

TRACY, Calif., Oct. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Inglewood Unified School District today received $10,000 in funding to expand student health and wellness with a partnership between the Los Angeles Rams and California dairy families through the Fuel Up to Play 60 (FUTP 60) program. The $10,000 ‘Hometown Grant’ was awarded during a special school assembly at Highland Elementary School where students learned about the importance of fueling up with healthy foods and getting 60 minutes of physical activity a day from Rams player Cornelius Lucas, Rams Community Ambassador Johnathan Franklin, members of the cheerleading team and Rams mascot, Rampage.

Left to right: Alex Padilla, Dr. Beasley, Johnathan Franklin, Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr., Dr. Melendez, Cornelius Lucas, Jennifer Giambroni, Molly Higgins present a $10,000 Hometown Grant from Real California Milk, representing the state’s dairy families, and the Los Angeles Rams to encourage healthy eating and physical activity among students of Inglewood Unified School District.

"To have this partnership means much to our District. This event underscores our efforts to provide a sound educational program that includes sports, fitness, exercise and good nutrition," said Dr. Jacqueline Landrum Sanderlin, Executive Director, School and Community Relations for Inglewood Unified School District. "We realize the importance of the whole child and having California dairy families and the Los Angeles Rams assist us with showcasing the importance of this makes our work matter."

The 'Hometown Grant' award means students in the Inglewood Unified 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 the national FUTP 60 program¹.

"We know kids who are well nourished and physically active do better in school. Our dairy farm families have long committed resources to educating kids about healthy eating and increasing student access to healthy foods, including milk and dairy. This partnership with the Los Angeles Rams helps get them excited about both eating well and getting the 60 minutes a day of physical activity that will help them perform better in school and life," 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.

"Assisting Inglewood Unified School District and the students they serve is a priority for the Los Angeles Rams," said Molly Higgins, Vice President of Community Affairs and Engagement, Los Angeles Rams. "Through our partnership with the California dairy farm families and Fuel Up to Play 60, we are thrilled to be able to deliver this financial support to Inglewood Unified, but just as importantly, we are excited about the long-term effects of empowering these students to live healthier and more active lives."

"This grant is highly appreciated and very much needed to support our ongoing efforts to provide a strong physical fitness program for our scholars and assist us with the proper equipment for each of them. Being awarded this grant is proof that anything is possible when we work together for the benefit of our students," said Dr. Sanderlin.

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 leading in-school wellness program creating real transformational change in more than 73,000 schools nationwide since its launch in 2009. 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 $465,000 in grants and resources to schools throughout California in support of their wellness goals.

About the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams – Los Angeles' original professional sports team – stand as one of the oldest franchises in the National Football League and since its founding in 1937, have garnered three World Championships and sent 29 of its members to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. As a professional sports team, the organization is committed to being a valuable civic partner and serving the greater Los Angeles area 365 days a year. For more information visit www.therams.com and follow the Rams on Facebook and Twitter, @RamsNFL.

About the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB)
The California Milk Advisory Board (Real California Milk), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state's dairy farm families. With headquarters in Tracy, the CMAB is one of the largest agricultural marketing boards in the United States. The CMAB executes advertising, public relations, research and retail and foodservice promotional programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Milk and Real California Cheese, throughout the U.S. and internationally. For more information and to connect with the CMAB through social media, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, like at Facebook, view videos at YouTube, follow at Twitter and Instagram, and pin at Pinterest.

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. As a result 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 Inglewood Unified School District
The purpose and vision of the Inglewood Unified School District is to provide a learning environment that empowers all students to acquire the academic and social skills needed to become productive citizens and lifelong learners in a global economy.

The mission is to ensure that all students are taught rigorous standards-based curriculum supported by highly qualified staff in an exemplary educational system characterized by high student achievement, social development, safe schools, and effective partnerships with all segments of the community.

Academic success is the objective at every level. This starts with providing students with literacy and academic content in both English and Spanish beginning at kinder and 1st grade for a minimum of six years, all the up to delivering high achieving graduates attending colleges such as UCLA, UC Berkeley and USC.

The District offers different pathway programs at each of its high schools. Because IUSD has open enrollment, students may select which pathway program they would like at any one of the high schools, and then attend that school. Examples of Pathways include Legal and Government, Engineering and Design, and Food Service and Hospitality. We encourage you to visit each high school page to find out what pathways they offer.