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 Contact: Jeff Wolfe (609) 633-2954    

 E-mail: Jeff.Wolfe@ag.state.nj.us

 

(WEST NEW YORK) – – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and New York Jets kicker Nick Folk today honored West New York Public School #2, in West New York NJ, as this year’s Pre-Season Champion of the Department of Agriculture’s Jets PLAY 60 “Eat Right, Move More” program.

Folk surprised 100 students and conducted a PLAY 60 program during their Physical Education classes. In addition, six students from the school will be granted the opportunity to be honored on the field at MetLife Stadium during the New York Jets game versus the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, December 17th.

 The Jets PLAY 60 “Eat Right, Move More” program, a partnership between the Jets, the Department of Agriculture, and the American Dairy Northeast, encourages New Jersey school children to take advantage of healthy foods in their school cafeterias and become more active. 

 “The ‘Eat Right, Move More’ program has made an impact in the lives of thousands of New Jersey school children since it started 11 years ago, stressing the importance of good nutrition and exercise,” said Secretary Fisher. “We commend the New York Jets for their commitment to educating young people about living healthy lives.”

 “It was a lot of fun kicking off the Jets PLAY 60 portion of the ‘Eat Right, Move More’ program today with the students at School #2,” said Folk. “They have done such a great job with their nutritious food offerings as well as their physical education program. It was great getting to see how big a part wellness plays in these students’ school day!  I am excited to see the kids on the field when we play the Dolphins.”

 West New York School #2 was chosen for its creative efforts to encourage students to live healthier. The school, along with all of the schools in the district put a high value on student wellness.  The culture of wellness in the school can be seen by the seamless integration of healthy messages throughout the day in the classrooms, the hallways and the cafeteria. Students learn about new foods and healthy habits in all classes and physical activity breaks are taken throughout the day. In the lunchroom, students are offered unlimited fruits and vegetables every day, as part of their entrees and on the Harvest Bar which features fresh fruits and vegetables and assorted seasonal salads.

“We are honored to be the Pre-Season Champion this year,” said #2 School Principal Christian Cardenas. “We understand that wellness is something that encompasses the whole child and that the education we provide today will build healthy habits that will last a lifetime. We thank the Jets for giving our students a fun opportunity to be active within the school day and this will motivate our students to successfully continue with the Jets PLAY 60 program.” 

 West New York School #2 will now move on to the next phase of the “Eat Right, Move More” program where it must have at least 100 students participate in the Jets PLAY 60 program. School #2 will then be in the running with other schools in New Jersey that apply by January 20, 2017 at http://jets.formstack.com/forms/jetsplay60ermm for kitchen and physical education grants and a Jets player visit, which will be announced in the spring. One “Grand Champion” winning school will be awarded a $15,000 grant and a visit from Folk. Three schools will be awarded “Division Champion” grants of $5,000 and a Jets player visit.

 The New Jersey Department of Agriculture administers the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs, special milk and after-school snack, Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program. Almost 700,000 children eat lunch at school every day in the Garden State.

About the New York Jets

As a professional football team that plays in New Jersey, the Jets take great pride in a long-standing, year-round commitment to our community. Programs funded by the New York Jets Foundation look to positively influence the future for countless young men and women in the tri-state area by promoting fitness and supporting youth football, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

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To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA1 and @JerseyFreshNJDA.