Game On to Tackle Student Hunger

GENYOUth, Clark County School District, Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, and Partners Announce Statewide Effort to Provide Grants to Support Serving More Than 12 Million School Meals Benefitting Over 45,000 Nevada Students   

Aligned with September's Hunger Action Month, Group Invites Nevada Residents to Nominate Deserving Schools for Super School Meal Grants

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GENYOUth, the national non-profit organization founded by America's dairy farmers and the NFL to create healthier school communities, today announced the launch of Super School Meals. This community-based initiative is providing grants to equip Nevada schools within high-need communities with Grab and Go meal equipment packages to help tackle student hunger and increase access to and participation in school meals. Along with partners the Clark County School District, Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee, Dairy Council of Nevada; and purpose-minded corporate sponsors Frito-Lay North America, The Quaker Oats Company, PepsiCo Foundation, and The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation in partnership with Smith's, GENYOUth invites Nevada residents to nominate a K-12 public school to receive a grant for one of over 58 meal equipment packages that will be delivered to schools across the state.

With September designated as Hunger Action Month, Super School Meals kicked off today at West Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas with a celebratory student event featuring special appearances by NFL Legend and former Las Vegas Raiders Linebacker Morlon Greenwood; and local school and government officials including Rebecca Tschinkel, Clark County School District school associate superintendent; Jhone Ebert, Superintendent of Public Instruction at Nevada Department of Education; and Shondra Summers-Armstrong, District 6 Assemblywoman. Through the generous support of Frito-Lay North America, The Quaker Oats Company, PepsiCo Foundation, and Kroger's Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation in partnership with Smith's, Nevada schools will receive receive grants for Super School Meal equipment packages in the coming months, including mobile meal carts and milk coolers. These packages will increase access to more than 12 million school meals benefitting over 45,000 Nevada students.

"School meals are critical for students' nutrition security, well-being, and learning; and a recent Tufts University study indicated that the healthiest meals kids eat are school meals, which contain milk, fruit, vegetables, whole grain and lean protein. With 1 in 5 Nevada children living in food insecurity¹, Nevada schools will be able to nourish more at-risk students with this Grab and Go equipment," said Ann Marie Krautheim, M.A., R.D., L.D., CEO of GENYOUth. "Grab and Go meal equipment has been proven to increase school meal participation by as much as 27%. The Super School Meals initiative would not be possible without the support of committed partners who have come together to ensure that the only hunger a child experiences is the hunger to learn."

• 30 million U.S. students rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition, but a new report finds that for every 100 students who participate in school lunch, only 56 are participating in school breakfast.²
• 81% of Nevada students qualify for free/reduced price school meals based on household income.³
• Nevada is among the top 10 states with the greatest percentage increase – 9.1% – in the number of Free and Reduced-Price breakfast participants.⁴

"We are excited to host the Super School Meals program kickoff in our school district. When the community comes together on behalf of students, we reduce their obstacles so they can focus and succeed academically," said Clark County School District Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara. "Thank you to our partners for their continued commitment to our students' health and educational outcomes."

In the coming months, GENYOUth will deliver meal equipment packages to schools throughout Nevada, leading up to Super Bowl LVIII and its premier purpose-driven culinary event, Taste of the NFL, on Saturday, February 10, 2024, of which GENYOUth is the charitable partner. Net proceeds raised from Taste of the NFL will benefit schools in Nevada and throughout the nation. The collective impact of the 2023 Taste of the NFL event held in Phoenix generated $1.8 million in revenue, which benefited over 700 schools and 385,000 students by increasing access to 100 million meals in all 32 NFL club markets.

"Super School Meals is a critical part of the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee's goal of driving lasting social and economic impact across our local communities," said Sam Joffray, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Las Vegas Super Bowl Host Committee. "We are proud to partner with GENYOUth to tackle food insecurity and deliver the equipment and resources Nevada schools need to help their students thrive in and out of the classroom."  

"Frito-Lay and Quaker are proud of our longstanding support of GENYOUth, which has created opportunities to alleviate food insecurity and nourish students in communities across the country," said Joan Cetera, Vice President of Communications, PepsiCo Foods North America. "We are committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work and are honored to support students across the state of Nevada to have access to a nutritious breakfast."    

"PepsiCo and our Foundation is committed to addressing food insecurity by increasing equitable access to nutritious foods and other critical resources in high-need school districts," said C.D. Glin, President, PepsiCo Foundation, and Global Head of Philanthropy, PepsiCo. "Access to nutritious food can positively impact children's physical health, cognitive development, and educational outcomes leading to a healthier future for these children and creating lasting change in the communities where we live and work."

"Our aim is create communities free of hunger and waste. The Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation and Smith's are excited to partner with GENYOUth to provide children in Nevada schools with access to healthy food so they can focus on their learning, not an empty stomach," said Tina Murray, Division Corporate Affairs Manager, Smith's Food and Drug.

"Super School Meals reflects the deep commitment of Nevada dairy farmers to the health and well-being of Nevada's children. We are proud to collaborate with GENYOUth and other partners to ensure all students have access to nutritious dairy products as part of their school meals," said Tammy Baker, CEO, Dairy Management West.

"I am proud to support Super School Meals in Nevada and to be participating in today's school event. As a professional football player, I see first-hand the critical role school nutrition plays in the lives of students. We must all do our part to ensure students have access to school meal and physical activity programs," said Morlon Greenwood, former NFL Linebacker and president of the NFL Alumni Las Vegas chapter.

Schools in Nevada can apply for a Super School Meal Equipment Grant, or Nevada residents can nominate their local school to apply for a grant, by visiting www.GENYOUthNow.org⁵  

For more information on Taste of the NFL, visit TasteoftheNFL.com.

To help GENYOUth end student hunger, visit GENYOUthNow.org/donate.

SOURCE GENYOUth