Congratulations to our 2009-2010 Fitness Challenge Winners!

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders and “Biggest Loser” star Jillian Michals honored student winners of the Keep Gym in School 2009-2010 Fitness Challenge at the Play 60 Youth Football Festival in New York City. Brett Erelli from Pickering Middle School in Lynn, MA, Sharon Presley from Jacob Beidler Elementary School in Chicago, IL, Mitchell Martini from George Fox Middle School in Pasadena, MD and Mark Henry from Central Park East Middle School in New York, NY were invited to the festival to participate in football drills and games with top 2010 Draft picks, including #1 and #2 overall picks Sam Bradford and Ndamukong Suh. At the award ceremony Deion Sanders presented each winner with a Keep Gym in School trophy for their efforts.

In our second year, we were able to continue and expand the Keep Gym in School Fitness Program to motivate kids to stay active. Thousands of kids from four districts across the country participated – New York City Public Schools, Lynn Public Schools, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, and Chicago Public Schools. Each winning student was chosen based on a series of criteria including improvement in five fitness assessments, weekly fitness logs, and an essay contest. They, along with their parents and representatives from their schools, were brought to New York City to participate in all the Draft week festivities.

After the festival, students, their families and schools representatives, attended a special luncheon held in their honor in Times Square. Each student was celebrated individually while enjoying a delicious and healthy meal. Finally, all guests were invited to Radio City Music Hall to attend the 75th Annual NFL Draft as VIP guests of NFL Network.

Congratulations to our 2008-2009 Fitness Challenge Winners!

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Network analyst and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders honored student winners of the Keep Gym in School 2008-2009 Fitness Challenge at the Play60 Youth Football Festival in New York City. David Belay from Poe Middle School in Fairfax VA, Alexis Alvarez-Aragon from Jardine Middle School in Wichita KS, Kourtney Herrera from Truman Middle School in Marrero LA and Adrian Guerra from Bethune School in Phoenix, AZ were invited to the festival to participate in football drills and games with the Top 2009 Draft Picks, including #1 Overall Pick Matthew Stafford. After spending the morning exercising, we held a special ceremony where each student was awarded a personalized trophy for their dedication to health and fitness.

At the Play60 Youth Football Festival, NFL Network also awarded the Keep Gym in School $10,000 National physical education Grant. After receiving close to 1,000 school nominations nationwide, 20 finalists were chosen to submit grant applications. A judging panel comprised of representatives from the NFL, NFL Network, Sports Illustrated Kids, NASPE and Action for Healthy Kids selected the winning school. Central Middle School, a public school in Gatesville, NC consisting of 450 students in grades 6-8 was selected the winner. After the students received their awards, physical education teacher Jennifer Long and Athletic Director Stephen Atstupenas accepted the $10,000 check from Roger Goodell and Deion Sanders.

After the festival, students, families, and the grant winners attended a special luncheon held in their honor in Times Square where everyone celebrated their accomplishments and enjoyed a delicious and healthy meal. Everyone was then invited on an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of Radio City Music hall, the site of the 2009 NFL Draft.