River Trails students win $1,500 grant for re-creating Bears' fitness routine

River Trails Middle School in Mount Prospect has won a $1,500 Get Moving Grant to buy physical activity equipment, thanks to a video in which students re-created the Chicago Bears' running of the agility ladder as part of the team's fitness routine.

The grant program is run by the American Heart Association and NFL Play 60 - the National Football League's youth health and wellness campaign encouraging 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

The Get Moving Grant was awarded to one school in each of the NFL's 32 markets around the nation.

Each applicant's task was to post a video of students re-creating the exercise routine of their hometown NFL team.

A panel reviewed all the submitted videos before choosing one winner in each market for 2022.

River Trails Middle School in River Trails District 26 now has a chance to double its prize money for even more physical activity equipment on Thursday, Feb. 10, when a national winner will be named in the lead-up to Super Bowl Sunday.

Since 2007, the NFL has spent more than $352 million on youth health and fitness through Play 60 programming, grants and public service announcements.

The league and its teams have supported programs at more than 73,000 schools and constructed more than 265 youth fitness zones across the nation, giving over 38 million children an opportunity to increase their physical activity levels.

For more information about the program, visit NFL.com/PLAY60.