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Bears’ Garza to visit health-conscious U-46 students

Students at two schools in Elgin Area District U-46 have earned a visit from a special guest for their success in a national challenge targeting childhood obesity.

Parkwood Elementary School in Hanover Park and Eastview Middle School in Bartlett were the only schools in Illinois to score a “touchdown” in the Fuel Up to Play 60 challenge, sponsored by the Mid-West Dairy Council and the National Football League. The program is also a part of first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign.

Chicago Bears center Roberto Garza Friday will congratulate students on their achievements and encourage them to continue their healthy lifestyle choices.

“It is very important for kids to learn what good nutrition is,” said Betty Saltares, Fuel Up to Play 60 coordinator and adviser at Parkwood Elementary School. “We are able to provide them some benefits that they don’t get at home and give them a chance to learn about exercising and nutrition.”

Both schools received an initial $4,000 grant to implement exercise and healthy eating programs at the schools. They then came up with a list of “plays” they would complete throughout the semester. From there, students and staff completed six steps starting with a kickoff to drum up support and culminating in gametime, which aims to change the school’s environment and the students’ habits. By meeting the six steps, the schools were designated Touchdown schools.

Ashtar Tamo, a sixth-grade student at Parkwood, said although she already participated in a number of sports and was active, she didn’t pay attention to what she was using to fuel up.

“Before this program I wasn’t really eating that healthy and this reminds me to eat more fruits and vegetables and healthier foods,” Ashtar said.

At Parkview, a running club meets after school and trains for select distance races throughout the year. In addition, the food service staff has introduced signage in the cafeteria encouraging students to make healthy snack choices.

Some of the grant money was also used to purchase exercise equipment for a workout room at the school, said Richard Reed, food service manager at Eastview Middle School.

“We wanted to show not only as a district, but as a school that exercise and nutrition are high priorities,” Reed said. “Students are enthused in terms of the healthier items we have brought in. We are trying to combat the ongoing obesity problem in America in our youth.”

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