Seahawks, Dairy Council team up to teach nutrition

MOSES LAKE — Fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders from across Moses Lake were gathered in the Moses Lake High School gym to learn about the value of exercise and nutrition from members of the Seattle Seahawks.

“Who can tell me what the most important meal of the day is?” Sea Gal Melanie asked the students.

“Breakfast!” most of them shouted as Blitz, the Seahawks mascot, brought out what looked like a half-eaten football to show what he’d had for breakfast.

And half a football was not the best breakfast, Melanie said.

“Who can tell me what a good breakfast is?” she asked.

Hand flew up. Cereal. Eggs. Toast. All were good answers, Melanie said.

The kids were gathered from elementary schools far and wide — in two assemblies to keep things manageable — as part of the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, a joint effort of the National Football League and, in Washington, the Washington Dairy Council, to promote both good nutrition and encourage kids exercise 60 minutes each day.

The Moses Lake School District also received a check for $56,000 from the Dairy Council to help purchase sports and recreation equipment district-wide.

“Each school will get about $2,000 to buy small and large fitness equipment,” said Melodie Lopez, the school district’s food service manager.

Lopez said last year the district used some of the money to purchase smoothie blenders for each school and upgrade the milk coolers at several schools.

“This is all about the kids,” said April Strebeck, the district’s assistant food manager. “The Washington Dairy Council has been so good to work with.”

Julie Loveall, a long-time dairy farmer from Colville who has been heavily involved with Dairy Council leadership for the last 15 years, said that Fuel Up to Play 60 exemplifies what dairy farmers statewide believe is most important about what they produce.

“One of the most important things to remember is the dairy industry is made up of families and families care about nutrition,” she said.

In addition to Blitz and Sea Gal Melanie, there was a video presentation by members of the Seahawks talking about their favorite foods and how much they exercised even before they joined the team.

And a number of kids seemed stunned to hear so many Seahawk players say their favorite vegetable was broccoli.

“We’re promoting this fitness program with all the school, just getting the word out,” said Jessica Williams, an eighth-grader from Frontier Middle School who helped organize Wednesday’s assemblies. “It’s such a great program. It helps us get healthy and have fun.”