National Dairy Council® and General Mills Foodservice to Award $100,000 in Grants to K-12 Schools through Fuel UpTM Breakfast Grant Program

General Mills Foodservice has committed $100,000 to help K-12 schools improve or expand their breakfast programs through the National Dairy Council® Fuel Up^TM Breakfast Grant program. Eligible schools can visit http://school.fueluptoplay60.com/Breakfast-Grants and apply to receive up to $3,000 in funding.

The Fuel Up Breakfast Grant is open to schools within the United States who participate in the National School Breakfast Program and are enrolled in the National Dairy Council "Fuel Up to Play 60” program for the 2011-12 school year. "Fuel Up to Play 60” is a partnership between the National Dairy Council and the National Football League to empower youth to take action to improve nutrition and physical activity at their school and for their own health.

During the 2010-11 school year, breakfast grants were awarded to 42 schools in 27 states reaching 30,539 students. These schools reported an average increase of 58 percent in overall daily breakfast participation from the programs they were able to fund with the grant dollars.

"General Mills Foodservice is dedicated to helping school foodservice operators bring more students to breakfast,” said Alyca Judge, K-12 marketing manager, General Mills Foodservice. "Through our partnership with the National Dairy Council, the Fuel Up grants can help schools improve student access to high-quality, nourishing foods through breakfast in the classroom, grab-and-go breakfast from a cart or a second chance breakfast after the first class period.”

Research shows that eating breakfast not only helps students get the nutrients they need, but also helps them perform better in school. Today, about 11 million children eat breakfast daily in U.S. schools.¹ However, on any given day, 51 percent of kids go to school without breakfast.² Growing a successful school breakfast program can be challenging for even the savviest operator.

"We are proud to work with General Mills Foodservice to help bring students nutritious breakfast options,” said Jean Ragalie, president, National Dairy Council, the organization behind Fuel Up to Play 60. "To secure a healthy future for America’s children it’s important to provide access to nutrient-rich foods and physical activity, as well as give youth the tools they need to grow up to be healthy adults.”

Schools applying for a Fuel Up grant also must have support from their school principal, district school nutrition director and school nutrition manager, have school enrollment of at least 500, have a breakfast participation level less than 40 percent and demonstrate an opportunity to raise breakfast participation.

The application deadline is July 31, 2011. Applicants will be notified by August 15, 2011, as to whether their school’s application has been approved or declined. Educators can visit http://school.fueluptoplay60.com/Breakfast-Grants for more information and to access the grant application.

About General Mills Foodservice
General Mills Foodservice sells a wide array of high-quality products to operators in the foodservice and restaurant channels, delivering consistent quality and proven performance through its branded products including Cheerios^®, Yoplait^® yogurt, Nature Valley^® granola bars, Gold Medal^® baking mixes, Pillsbury^® biscuits and other sweet goods. The division generates more than $2 billion in annual sales.

About Fuel Up to Play 60
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Dairy Council (NDC) and NFL, with additional partnership support from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. Customizable and non-prescriptive program components are grounded in research with youth, including tools and resources, in-school promotional materials, a website and student challenges. Fuel Up to Play 60 is further supported by several health and nutrition organizations: Action for Healthy Kids, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association. Visit www.FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more. Media resources, including related video footage and photos are available at FuelUptoPlay60MediaResources.com.

About National Dairy Council
National Dairy Council® (NDC) is the nutrition research, education and communications arm of Dairy Management Inc™. On behalf of U.S. dairy farmers, NDC provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier society, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Established in 1915, NDC is dedicated to educating the public on the health benefits of consuming milk and milk products throughout a person’s lifespan. For more information, visit www.NationalDairyCouncil.org.

¹ USDA (2009 School Year)
² School Nutrition Foundation