Texans Game Day Newsletter 9 Dec 17th Houston_Digital | Page 37

PLAY 60 In October 2007, the NFL launched NFL PLAY 60, a national youth health and fi tness campaign focused on increasing the wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL’s long-standing commitment to health and fi tness with an impressive roster of partner organizations. In addition to national outreach and online programs, NFL PLAY 60 is implemented at the grassroots level through NFL’s in-school, after- school and team-based programs. The NFL PLAY 60 initiative is prominent during the NFL’s key calendar events, including Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, Draft, Kickoff and Thanksgiving and is supported by many NFL players and coaches year around. To date, the NFL has dedicated over $200 million to youth health and wellness through NFL PLAY 60. The Jaguars Foundation, Wolfson Children’s Hospital and the American Heart Association First Coast are again partnering with area public schools to offer the Play 60 Challenge program in the fall semester of the 2017 school year to help 6th grade students in school with better physical fi tness, good nutrition, and health awareness. This program is offered to 50 public schools throughout Duval, Clay, Baker, Nassau, St. Johns, Columbia, Glynn and Camden counties. Sixth grade is known to be a challenging transition for many students as they negotiate a new learning environment and increased expectations for self-direction and responsibility. National research has shown that increased physical activity and healthy eating habits contribute to students doing better in school. The PLAY 60 Challenge program targets these issues and encourages the 6th grade students to set personal goals and take responsibility for their actions.