DENVER — As the first school in the Denver area to host The Western Dairy Fuel Greatness Breakfast Games, Shelton Elementary was buzzing about breakfast and Fuel Up to Play 60 on Friday, March 9. In celebration of National School Breakfast Week, the interactive, Olympic-style games highlighted the importance of eating a nutritious breakfast every day, as well as regular physical activity.
Western Dairy selected Shelton Elementary in the Jeffco Public School District to host the event based on their high level of Fuel Up to Play 60 engagement, having reached Touchdown status for three consecutive school years. Shelton has also demonstrated their dedication to providing students with a healthy start to the day through high school breakfast participation.
To start the day’s event, Shelton’s Fuel Up to Play 60 Student Leadership team of 15 students started their morning eating breakfast with Ashley Edstrom of Sugar Hill Dairy and WDA Fuel Up to Play 60 Player Ambassador, Denver Bronco Virgil Green. After breakfast, the whole school gathered in the gym to hear important messages about breakfast nutrition and cheer on their Fuel Up to Play 60 team in the Breakfast Games obstacle course.
Edstrom was the guest of honor, opening the games as the torch bearer. She also spoke to students about her passion for dairy farming and how she works every day to provide nutritious dairy for them to eat and drink. She also participated in a brief Q & A session with select students, who asked questions about her farm, cows and what she likes to eat for breakfast before a long day on the farm.
Virgil also spoke on behalf of the Denver Broncos, educating students on why they should eat a healthy breakfast every day to succeed. Green has been supporting Western Dairy and the Fuel Up to Play 60 program for several years and this event was another opportunity for students to hear directly from him about why he eats a healthy diet, not just to fuel his body, but also his mind. Virgil shared why he includes dairy foods, such as milk and yogurt, in his breakfast every day.
The event also gave Western Dairy an opportunity to invite several partners from organizations including the US Department of Agriculture, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado PTA, Colorado Action for Healthy Kids, Hunger Free Colorado, City of Golden, Jeffco Public Schools, and Denver Broncos Organization and feature them as “VIPs” during the event. Several of these VIPs have been instrumental partners for Western Dairy’s work in Colorado schools and the Fuel Up to Play 60 program.
The Breakfast Games is yet another in a long line of Western Dairy Fuel Up to Play 60 efforts, like Miles Assemblies, that create a fun atmosphere to empower students with nutrition knowledge and help influence them to make positive nutrition decisions.
— Western Dairy Association
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