The “Play 60 Challenge,” a physical fitness program from the Green Bay Packers, American Heart Association, Bellin Health and WPS Health Insurance, gets under way Feb. 4 at 11 schools in Wisconsin.
More than 1,900 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, the school with the highest cumulative participation time per student will receive a trip to Lambeau Field, including a stadium tour, Packers Hall of Fame passes, a chance to meet a Packers player and a $700 gift certificate from U.S. Games. The schools that place second, third, and fourth will receive U.S. Games gift certificates of $600, $500, and $400, respectively, which can be redeemed for gym equipment.
“The healthy habits that these students learn and develop as a part of this program will benefit to them throughout their lives,” said Tim Schroeder, Packers youth football coordinator. “Play 60 offers a fun way for students to compete with their peers at other schools and see the progress that they are making as a team. We look forward to watching their efforts 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 are Black Creek Elementary/Middle School, Black Creek; Denmark Elementary, Denmark; Fox View Intermediate, De Pere; Good Shepherd Lutheran School, West Bend; Greenfield Bilingual School, Milwaukee; Holy Family School, Brillion; Maple Dale Middle School, River Hills; Rock Ledge Middle School, Seymour; Seymour Middle School, Seymour; Spooner Middle School, Spooner; and St. Mary Catholic, Portage.
More information on the “Play 60 Challenge” can be found online at http://www.packers.com. 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 200 Wisconsin schools have participated in Play 60 programs since 2007.
About Bellin Health
Bellin Health, www.bellin.org, is an integrated health care delivery system based in Green Bay, Wis. It has serviced people in Northeast Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula since 1908. It is comprised of Bellin Hospital, Bellin Psychiatric Center, 26 Bellin Health Family Medical Center primary care physician clinics, and several retail health clinics known as Bellin Health FastCare. Bellin also operates Bellin Health Partners, a physician-hospital organization with more than 200 specialty physician members, the Bellin Health Oconto Hospital, a critical care access hospital in Oconto, Bellin Fitness Center with four locations, and Bellin College. With its 3,227 employees, Bellin Health is known for its emphasis on preventive health care and is the region’s leader in cardiac, orthopedics, sports medicine, digestive health, mental health, and primary care medicine.
About WPS Health Insurance
Founded in 1946, WPS is Wisconsin's leading not-for-profit health insurer, offering affordable individual health insurance, family health insurance, high-deductible health plans, and short-term health insurance, as well as flexible and affordable group plans and cost-effective benefit plan administration for businesses. The WPS Medicare division administers Part A and B benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and the WPS TRICARE division serves millions more members of the U.S. military and their families. In 2012, the international Ethisphere® Institute named WPS one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the third straight year. WPS is the only health insurance company to earn this distinction multiple times. For more information about WPS Health Insurance, visit www.wpsic.com.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
