With kids back in school and the football season underway, one of the dairy checkoff’s powerful partnerships is also kicking off another season. Fuel Up to Play 60 teams dairy farmers and the National Football league in a nationwide effort that reaches kids with positive messages about nutrition and exercise.

Fuel Up to Play 60 was created by dairy farmers and the NFL, in collaboration with the USDA. The program engages students in making long-term, healthy changes in their school environment. Mark Leitner with Dairy Management Inc., which manages the dairy checkoff, says Fuel Up to Play 60 now reaches 38 million students in nearly 73,000 schools.

Leitner said a new survey of school leaders shows that 93 percent of the schools are promoting Fuel Up to Play 60 and its core message of healthy eating and physical activity among students, staff and administrators. The ultimate goal for producers is to promote sales of dairy. The star power of NFL players involved in school events gets kids focused on positive nutrition choices, including low-fat and fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt.