Dairy MAX’s Breakfast Games, an Olympics-style event where elementary school students learn the value of milk, a healthy breakfast and physical activity, recently came to two Texas campuses.
Pleasant Hills Elementary School in Leander hosted the games on March 8 and featured appearances from celebrity guests like Dallas Cowboys strong safety Barry Church, dairyman Bryan Lanting and Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
Two days later, the Checkoff-sponsored event was in Aldine at Orange Grove Elementary School, where students met former Houston Texans player J.J. Moses, dairyman Brennan Ribiero and USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development Lillian Salerno.
Each Breakfast Games kicked off with a healthy meal or snack featuring milk and dairy products, inspirational talks from the athletes and a little Dairy 101 from the farmers. Students then competed in obstacle courses. Gold, silver and bronze medalists were recognized on an Olympics-style podium in front of their peers, teachers and guests.
Chaun Vaughn, school wellness consultant for Dairy MAX, says it wasn’t all fun and games, though. It was a project with a purpose. “Through the Breakfast Games, we are reaching students at a very early age,” she says. “They will be used to eating and drinking dairy products and will carry that into their adulthood. They're learning the true facts about dairy from real experts — not from social media or people with ulterior motives. I think we're cultivating a great culture of students who are enthusiastic about dairy.”
“Everything we do,” Vaughn says, “is to increase demand for dairy products. But as an added bonus, we’re helping kids learn how to make healthy choices, too.”
Event Notes:
“Please extend our gratitude to all of the wonderful staff at Dairy Max for making this such a special event for our students.” - Ray Langlois, Assistant Director of Whole Student Initiatives, Leander ISD
“Our students and staff took so much away from the event. I was so impressed by both Barry Church and Bryan Lanting. The way that they interacted with our students was amazing.” -Elizabeth Ayers, Pleasant Hill PE Teacher, Leander ISD
