Exciting News in November

CROSSROADS CHARTER ACADEMY RECEIVES FUNDING FOR WELLNESS PROGRAM 

$1,600 Awarded by United Dairy Industry of Michigan for Fuel Up to Play 60

Big Rapids, Michigan – Crossroads Charter Academy has been chosen to receive $1,600 to support its Fuel Up to Play 60 initiative, the United Dairy Industry of Michigan announced today. Crossroads Charter Academy was selected from among hundreds of schools across the country that applied for funding to help them jumpstart and sustain healthy nutrition and physical activity improvements. This nationwide funding program offers schools up to $3,000 to help them increase awareness of and access to nutrient-rich foods and physical activity opportunities for students. Funding for this competitive program is provided by United Dairy Industry of Michigan and America’s dairy farmers.
Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60 provides support for a variety of activities and tools, such as foodservice materials and equipment, nutrition and physical education materials, student and staff incentives, staff development and overall Fuel Up to Play 60 implementation. 

Crossroads Charter Academy is creating a "Fuel Up To Play 60" Council that will meet 2-3 times monthly with their Program Advisor and brainstorm, develop, and implement "plays" each month that will help get all other students excited and motivated about physical activity and healthy eating. The elementary school will use the funds to improve the playground and mileage club already started. The elementary also plans on improving student awareness on food options, including the healthy choice of the day, as well as providing more health information regarding what kids should be eating through the use of kid-friendly health and nutrition posters in the cafeteria.  Students will help in the process by discussing how to make playground improvements, how to get students excited about healthy choice food options, and create easier opportunities for students to participate in activity during and after school. The elementary will continue their Mileage Club, in which students have the option before, during, or after school to run miles around the playground track and receive monthly awards and recognition for their accomplishments.

More than 60,000 schools across the United States are participating in Fuel Up to Play 60. Launched by National Dairy Council, local Dairy Councils and National Football League (NFL), in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. Multiple health organizations and several major corporations are also supporting Fuel Up to Play 60, now in its second year.

“Fuel Up to Play 60 has really taken off in Michigan. Wellness champions and students in more than 3,000 Michigan schools have embraced the program, and these funds will help many of the participating schools to do even more,” said Sharon Toth, Director of School Nutrition Programs.  

Schools, parents and students can learn more about Fuel Up to Play 60 at FuelUpToPlay60.com. 

Has your child checked out Fuel Up To Play 60? The Kick-off for the program will be a Poster Contest in which students check out the website and create their best poster advertising the program. Three winners will be selected and rewarded for their hard work, and all posters will be hung in the school to get the word out about this awesome new program helping our school!