High School Seniors Who Start Their Day Off Right With Milk, Start College With A Scholarship

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign and USA TODAY are pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Awards. The SAMMY Awards scholarship recognizes 25 outstanding high school senior student athletes who excel in academics, athletics and community service and who make the most of their days by grabbing a bowl of cereal with lowfat milk or a latte with fat free milk before they head off to class. This year, more than 30,000 high school seniors applied for the SAMMY Award.

Whether in a glass, cup or bowl, lowfat milk enhances the nutritional value of your morning meal. Milk is naturally nutrient-rich like no other beverage to help fuel and nourish active, successful days and SAMMY winners know that milk contains nine essential nutrients to help keep you strong and healthy. Each winner receives a $7,500 college scholarship and will star in a special Milk Mustache ad in the June 29th issue of USA TODAY. The winners also will attend a weekend of events in Disney World with their families, including an awards ceremony hosted by Milk Mustache celebrity guests Chauncey Billups and Jennie Finch.

Over the past 15 years, 375 teens have won the coveted SAMMY Award setting a positive example to their peers. This year's 25 winners were selected by a panel of superstar athlete judges including Chauncey Billups, Dara Torres, Andy Roddick, Tony Hawk and Jennie Finch.

"We are thrilled to be able to reward these exceptional teens for their commitment to sport, education and their health," said Victor Zaborsky, Marketing Director, National Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign. "They also serve as role models for drinking milk – especially at breakfast. Milk is a natural source of high-quality protein, which helps keep you full in the morning, so you'll stay on track with your healthy eating plan throughout the day. SAMMY winners understand it's just not breakfast without milk."

 2012 SAMMY Winners:

Vote for the SAMMY MVP
SAMMY Award winners are widely known for excelling in the classroom, on the sports field and in their communities. This year the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign is looking for the student-athlete who best embodies the spirit of SAMMY and one winner will be named SAMMY MVP at the 2012 awards ceremony. Families, friends and SAMMY fans will have the opportunity to vote for the second annual SAMMY MVP by logging onto SAMMYMVP.com and casting their vote. The winning SAMMY scholar will have an additional $5,000 donated to an organization of their choice.

Follow SAMMY
For more information on this year's SAMMY winners, other contests and news from the latest Milk Mustache celebrities, join us at Facebook.com/MilkMustache or follow us on Twitter @MilkMustache.

About the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The MilkPEP Board runs the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk. For more information, go to www.TheBreakfastProject.com or Facebook.com/MilkMustache. Deutsch, A Lowe and Partners Company, is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign.

SOURCE MilkPEP