New York dairy producer and United Dairy Industry Association board member Audrey Donahoe is passionate about promoting healthy eating and exercise for young people so she is very excited about the GENYOUth Foundation, a partnership between the National Dairy Council (NDC) and the National Football League (NFL) committed to child health and wellness.

“As a dairy farmer, I feel like I’m doubly blessed with this program,” said Audrey, pictured here being interviewed at World Dairy Expo by Michelle Rook of WNAX in Yankton, SD. “Not only am I investing in a program for our future leaders consuming dairy products, I am also in this program for my children as a mom. I want them to eat healthy and be educated on that.”

The flagship program for GENYOUth is the highly successful Fuel Up to Play 60, currently active in more than 70,000 schools, which encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat or fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. “We have the NFL football players that work with the children in exercising and the kids are so excited about the players so they listen and want to be a part of the program,” she said. “So that foundation is pretty much built but I don’t just see a building being built off of it, I see an entire city.”

Audrey says the dairy industry also recently started a new website to let people know more about dairy – from the farmers to the facts – called DairyGood.org. “We’ve pretty much pulled in all of our resources in one spot,” she said, noting that the website can also provide dairy farmers themselves with information on various checkoff-funded programs and activities, as well as the latest positive stories about dairy in the news.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Audrey here: Audrey Donahoe interview

2012 World Dairy Expo Photo Album