Twelve Bills players joined over 300 excited elementary school students at the seventh annual Play 60 Challenge Fitness Party for youth on December 6, 2011 at the Bills Healthy Zone Fieldhouse.
The Buffalo Bills partnered with BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York, the American Heart Association and Tops Friendly Markets and celebrated the accomplishments of the randomly selected students that participated in the season-long fitness program.
The Play 60 Challenge Fitness Party is an interactive fitness event that rewarded approximately 360 students (3rd – 6th graders from ten Buffalo Public and two Orchard Park elementary schools) that participated in the Play 60 Challenge this school year.
Bills players that attended the party and ran fitness stations included; George Wilson, Bryan Scott, C.J. Spiller, Marcell Dareus, Dwan Edwards, Brad Smith, Alex Carrington, Naaman Roosevelt, Mike Caussin, Mike Jasper, Garrison Sanborn and Tim Toone.
"It's great to see all the kids having such a fun time and learning about fitness and nutrition," said Wilson. "The Play 60 program is an outstanding community event that we, as players, believe in and enjoy helping with, and the kids worked really hard to get here and deserve this kind of recognition."
"I'm just glad to be a part of such a great event for these students, and to be here with my teammates and get the kids running around and excited is what Play 60 is all about," said Scott.
Earlier in the season, over 2,500 students participated in the Play 60 Challenge kickoff assembly at Kleinhans Music Hall in Buffalo. After the kickoff assembly the Buffalo Bills sent Play 60 Challenge activation kits to teachers at each of the participating Buffalo Public schools; Hillery Park Elementary, Frederick Law Olmstead, Discovery School, Southside Elementary School, Dr. Lydia T. Wright School of Excellence, City Honors, Bennett Park Montessori, Math, Science, and Technology School, International Preparatory School, Stanley G. Falk School and Orchard Park Elementary Schools; Eggert Elementary and Ellicott Elementary.
The Play 60 Challenge kit included a Teacher's Resource Guide, Student Activity Sheets, a Classroom Scoreboard, Certificates of Achievement and Bills Player Trading Cards. The teachers used them in the classroom to challenge their students to learn how to live a fit and healthy life by being active for 60 minutes a day over the course of four weeks.
One classroom from each participating school was randomly selected to partake in the Play 60 Challenge fitness party. These lucky students experienced interactive football games lead by Buffalo Bills players, a performance by Rock Star Nutritionist Jill Jayne (Jump With Jill), a healthy lunch sponsored by Tops Friendly Markets, and left with gift bags full of BlueCross BlueShield, Buffalo Bills and American Heart Association items to enjoy. Participating classrooms also received tickets for one student and one teacher to the Bills vs. the Titans game on December 4th and were recognized on the field for a special Play 60 Challenge pre-game ceremony.
The 'Play 60' Movement was created in response to the national decline of physical education programs and lack of physical activity for today's youth. This national youth movement and awareness campaign is designed to promote physical fitness and healthy living to an increasingly inactive generation of children.
The support of Bills partners like BlueCross BlueShield of WNY, the American Heart Association and Tops Friendly Markets is paramount to the success of the program.
For more information, visit nflrush.com or buffalobills.com/community.
