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Southeast Dairy Association Teams Up with Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation to Empower Youth to Take Control of Their Health
ATLANTA – September 25, 2008 – The Southeast Dairy Association and the Atlanta Falcons are teaming up for a third year to teach Atlanta youth the importance of good nutrition and the benefits of physical fitness. The initiative tackles the sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition that have in part spurred the current health and nutrition crisis among America's youth. The program aims to inspire children to adopt healthier behaviors, such as choosing more nutritious foods and committing to 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
The Atlanta Falcons, through its Youth Foundation's Falcons Fitness Zones, are working to curb obesity by reaching more than 10,000 children each day through fitness programming and healthy lifestyle education. The partnership with the Southeast Dairy Association underscores the foundation's commitment to the healthy development of Georgia's youth.
This initiative builds on the Southeast Dairy Association's nutrition knowledge and the Falcons' physical fitness expertise to inspire Atlanta youth to increase their physical activity and choose healthy foods, including low-fat and fat-free dairy, whole grains, fruits and vegetables as recommended by the 2005 Dietary Guidelines. Since up to 50 percent of total daily caloric intake is consumed at school, it's the ideal setting for teaching healthy eating and physical fitness behaviors.
"Our program strives to improve the health of children in Atlanta through fitness and nutrition programs in schools. Teaming up with the Atlanta Falcons will help us get students excited to make these changes and develop a lifetime of healthy habits," said Betsy Dietsch, a registered dietitian with the Southeast Dairy Association.
Throughout football season, the Southeast Dairy Association and the Falcons will host special events at participating Atlanta schools to encourage students to engage in physical activity each day, and to help children improve their intake of nutrient-rich foods. Falcons football players and cheerleaders will attend the events to excite students about getting on the path to a healthy lifestyle.
"It's our ultimate goal to get kids to move their bodies and to put healthy foods into their bodies," said John Bare, vice president for sports philanthropy and affiliated funds - Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation. "We're excited to have the Southeast Dairy Association on board for another season to strengthen our existing work to keep kids fit."
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About Southeast Dairy Association
The Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA) is the Southeast's dairy product promotional organization, funded by 4,500 dairy farmers. SUDIA is affiliated nationally with Dairy Management Inc., the American Dairy Association and the National Dairy Council. To learn more, visit www.southeastdairy.org.
About Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation
The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation (AFYF) was established in 1985 to serve as the philanthropic arm of the Atlanta Falcons. Since Arthur Blank acquired the club in 2002, the AFYF has grown to be the largest team-funded foundation in the National Football League and one of the most active foundations in professional sports, providing nearly $15 million in grants to non-profit organizations across the state of Georgia. The AFYF is committed to working with non-profit organizations throughout Georgia to reduce childhood obesity through youth fitness, sports programs, athletic field development and the Falcons Fitness Zones youth fitness signature program. For information on 2008 AFYF grant guidelines, please visit www.afyf.org.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, contact: Jessica Covello, communications 21, 404-814-1330, jcovello@c21pr.com
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