The "Play 60 Challenge," a physical fitness program from the Green Bay Packers, American Heart Association and Bellin Health, gets under way on Feb. 2 at four schools in Wisconsin.
More than 1,800 students in grades four through eight are using this week to prepare for the event, a 28-day program that challenges them to get active and play for at least 60 minutes each day, with the activities able to be broken up and performed either in or out of school.
The students will track their daily totals on classroom scoreboards, and at the end of the program, each registered school that completes the challenge will earn a Play 60 assembly at their school, featuring an appearance by a Green Bay Packers player. Following the assembly, the top 50 students who have accumulated the most activity minutes over the course of the month will be treated to a fitness clinic led by the player. The top school that accumulates the most time, per total amount of students participating, will receive a $1,000 gift certificate from US Games.
"By making physical activity a part of their routines at a young age, these students can develop healthy habits that will serve them well throughout their lives," said Cathy Dworak, director of community outreach & player/alumni relations for the Packers. "The Play 60 Challenge offers a fun way for students to build those habits through competition and teamwork with their peers. We look forward to seeing their progress over the next four weeks."
Participating schools received teacher guides and student planners, as well as a Play 60 Challenge drawstring backpack.
The Wisconsin schools participating areEdison Middle School,Green Bay;Lineville Intermediate School, Howard; Notre Dame Middle School, De Pere; and Red Smith Middle School, Green Bay.
More information on the "Play 60 Challenge" can be found online at http://www.packers.com/community/community-programs/play-60-challenge.html. The students' totals will be updated regularly as well.
The program supports the NFL's Play 60 program, a youth health and fitness campaign focused on making the next generation of kids the most active and healthy by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. More than 250 Wisconsin schools have participated in Play 60 programs since 2007.
