The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation will emphasize the importance of health and fitness by presenting The President's Volunteer Service Award to a player from each team who contributes to his community by encouraging kids to stay active and healthy. Bills safety George Wilson is the teams' recipient of this prestigious award from the White House. This "lifetime call to service" recognition is the highest service honor one can receive from the White House. In addition, beginning on Thanksgiving and continuing throughout the weekend, Ralph Wilson Stadium (RWS) and all NFL stadiums will feature NFL PLAY 60 banners and on-field stencils.
George Wilson has been actively involved in youth fitness programs, encouraging children to be active and make healthy choices as well as the importance of education and staying in school. George has been a Bills BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York What Moves U spokesperson for three years. He has attended the annual kickoff assembly with over 1,600 students, made numerous school visits and attended the What Moves U fitness Celebration with 300 Buffalo Public School students. He has also attended and participated in the Bills Fitness Zone dedication at Burgard High School, the Junior Player Development program, the Buffalo Public School/Buffalo Police Department Stay in School program. He and Brad Butler hosted a school visit series in the spring of 2008 and George purchases 20 tickets and meal vouchers to each home game for students from the Buffalo Public Schools as part of the Player/Coach Community Ticket Program.
During Bills pregame ceremonies, the team will honor the Bills High School Football Coaches of the Week winners and announce the Bills High School Football Coach of the Year on the field. In another salute to high school football, the Bills will honor Monsignor Martin Champions St. Francis High School and the Harvard Cup Champions from Thursday's Thanksgiving Day game. An NFL Flag Football exhibition will also take place in the Bills Field House from 10:00 a.m. until 12:15 p.m.
Thanksgiving, a time of family and togetherness, is also a time to focus on the importance of keeping kids healthy and giving them some safe places to play. In support of NFL PLAY 60, the league's youth health and fitness campaign, all Thanksgiving weekend games will raise awareness of the childhood obesity epidemic and showcase the NFL and its clubs' commitment to help reverse this trend.
NFL PLAY 60, which encourages the importance of staying active for at least 60 minutes a day, brings together the NFL's long-standing commitment to health and fitness with an impressive roster of partner organizations. Since the program was launched last year, the NFL has committed $100 million to youth health and fitness through programming, grants, and media time for public service announcements.
The Buffalo Bills have firmly supported the NFL PLAY 60 effort by hosting, supporting and participating in various youth fitness clinics and campaigns such as Hometown Huddle, What Moves U, Mini-ReCharge! and more.
