New England Patriots Player Joins Tewksbury School to Celebrate School Breakfast

New England Patriots Defensive Back Devin McCourtney is joining students at the Trahan Elementary School to host an event on Tuesday, Dec. 16 to celebrate the $1,725 the school received in funding from the dairy farm families in Massachusetts.

The Trahan Elementary School was awarded the money to offer a healthy Breakfast-in-the-Classroom program for the 250 students in grades 3 and 4 at the elementary school.

The school will use the funds to start a Breakfast-in-the-Classroom program in January 2015 with the goal of increasing breakfast participation to more than 40 percent by the end of the 2014-15 academic year. This funding will help the school achieve the goals set by the Massachusetts School Breakfast Challenge.

During the event, McCourty and Shaw will talk to the students about the connection between success and fueling up with a nutritious breakfast every day at school. In addition, Diane Sylvia, MA School Nutrition Programs State Coordinator, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Mary Joan McLarney, lead program specialist for the School Nutrition Programs branch of the USDA will talk to the students about the link between academic success and eating a healthy breakfast at school.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 16 from 10-11 a.m. at the Trahan Elementary School, 12 Salem Road in Tewksbury.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Dairy Council and National Football League, in collaboration with United States Department of Agriculture. The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. The ultimate goal is to ensure changes made at school are sustainable, and to provide children with more opportunities to be physically active and choose tasty, nutrient-rich foods at school. More than 73,000 schools across the country, including more than 1,600 schools in Massachusetts, are currently involved in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program. To learn more, visit www.FuelUpToPlay60.com.