GENYOUth, The Miami Super Bowl Host Committee And The Miami Dolphins Team Up To Provide 100 Grab And Go Breakfast Cart Systems To South Florida School Districts

MIAMI, Oct. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- GENYOUth, The Miami Super Bowl Host Committee  and the Miami Dolphins are working in conjunction with the Dairy Council of Florida, corporate partners and school officials, to tackle food insecurity among South Florida's youth. The 100 Days-to-Kickoff event was held today, approximately 100 days before the Miami Super Bowl LIV in 2020 at Hard Rock Stadium. The event celebrates the 100^th anniversary of the National Football League as well as the start of the Florida Super School Breakfast Initiative, which will deliver 100 Grab and Go breakfast carts, increasing access to 10 million school meals for South Florida students. 

South Florida School Superintendents Alberto M. Carvalho, Dr. Donald E. Fennoy II and Robert W. Runcie expressed their support with government officials and VIPs, as well as Miami Dolphin alumni players who attended the 100 Days-to-Kickoff event, which was held on the outdoor youth football area at Hard Rock Stadium.

"We are extremely proud to be partnering with GENYOUth around this critical youth health and wellness initiative, which is designed to increase access to nutritious school meals in our community," said Rodney Barreto, chairman and president of the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee. "In Florida alone, approximately 850,000, or one-in-five children, come from food insecure households, and the 100 Days-to-Kickoff event is designed to call attention to this situation but more importantly, the Florida Super School Breakfast initiative offers a long-term solution and positive legacy to meet the needs of South Florida youth."

"As an innovative health solutions company, Florida Blue understands that true health extends beyond traditional medical care. That's why we're working to address complex social issues like food insecurity," says Penny Shaffer, Florida Blue's South Florida Market President. "Through innovation, collaboration and a holistic approach to health, we're helping create long-term solutions that strengthen the health of our community and communities across Florida."

"We are incredibly fortunate to be working with the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee, the South Florida school districts, the Miami Dolphins and civic-minded corporate partners like Florida Blue, Florida Power & Light Company, Chevron along with Sunshine Gas Distributors Inc. and our partner Sleep Number to raise awareness and help meet the health and wellness needs of South Florida's youth," said GENYOUth Chief Executive Officer Alexis Glick. "By providing 100 Grab and Go breakfast carts, we are not only increasing students' access to a healthy, nutritious meal, we are also encouraging and educating them about the importance of making healthful choices in their lives like eating well, being physically active and getting a good night's rest."   

"Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and its employees are dedicated to our communities through financial giving, volunteerism and support for education programs that help break down barriers to opportunity and develop our state's future leaders. The Florida Super School Breakfast initiative aligns with our belief that children are our future and their well-being in this community should always be a priority. Students will receive access to meals and proper nutrition when they need it the most, and will be energized to succeed in school," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO for FPL. "This initiative is a great example of how the community comes together for those in need. This is one way we can help to make Florida an even better place to live, work and raise a family."

Research shows that good nutrition, adequate physical activity and quality sleep help to advance students' health and academic performance. Youth representing the Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach County school districts participating in today's event enjoyed games of flag football and received a nourishing meal provided by PepsiCo Foundation's Food For Good. GENYOUth partner Sleep Number^® was also on hand to provide educational activities and announce their Super Sleep-100 program, giving away Sleep Number 360^® smart beds to 100 deserving youth in advance of the Super Bowl, advancing their mission of improving the lives of youth through proven quality sleep.

The statistics surrounding food insecurity for children in Florida are staggering:

• 20% of children in Florida live in poverty; 18% of children in Broward County live in poverty; 22% of children in Miami-Dade County live in poverty; 19% of children in Palm Beach County live in poverty;
• 37% of Florida youth are classified as obese, compared to the national average of 29%;
• Florida is ranked 40 out of 52 in breakfast participation in schools in the country*;
• As school meals are federally reimbursed through the National School Breakfast program, the three South Florida School Districts – Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County, combined they will have the opportunity to access $23,539,543 in additional federal funding by growing breakfast participation as part of the School Breakfast Program.
• Additionally, a study conducted by GENYOUth in partnership with Sleep Number found that 71% of middle and high school students say they are getting less sleep on weekday nights than they need. That equates to making it through five days of school and activities on the equivalent of just four nights of sleep.

In addition, USDA data states that 88% of schools report lacking at least one piece of equipment they need to serve healthier foods. Through the Florida Super School Breakfast Initiative, 49 middle schools in the Miami-Dade County Public School District, 34 elementary schools in the School District of Palm Beach County and 17 high schools in the Broward County Public School District will each receive a Grab and Go breakfast cart. For additional information on how local businesses can support the Florida Super School Breakfast Initiative, please contact Lisa Travatello at [email protected] or Kelianne Johnson at [email protected].

*The Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) sets an ambitious but achievable goal of reaching 70 low-income students with breakfast for every 100 participating in school lunch. Florida is currently about 19 percentage points below this national goal at 51.2%. 

About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers students to create a healthier future for themselves and their peers by convening a network of private and public partners to raise funds for youth wellness initiatives that bolster healthy, high-achieving students, schools and communities nationwide.  We believe that all students are change-agents who deserve the opportunity to identify and lead innovative solutions that positively impact nutrition, physical activity, and student success.  GENYOUth has had Fuel Up to Play 60 and Adventure Capital programs in over 73,000 schools, reaching over 38 million students in nearly 10 years of operation.  For more information about GENYOUth, visit www.genyouthnow.org.

About the Miami Super Bowl Host Committee
The Miami Super Bowl Host Committee brings together our community's top local business leaders, community representatives, tourism officials and football personnel around a common cause – making Super Bowl LIV a historic experience both for visitors and for locals across South Florida. On February 2, 2020, South Florida will host its record-breaking 11th game at the newly renovated Hard Rock Stadium. Additionally, Super Bowl LIV will mark the culmination of the 100th season anniversary of the NFL and will feature special events and activities throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties as part of the festivities. For more information, visit www.MIASBLIV.com.

About the Miami-Dade County Public School District
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is the fourth largest school district in the United States, comprised of 392 schools, 345,000 students and over 40,000 employees. Located at the southern end of the Florida peninsula, the school district stretches over 2,000 square miles of diverse and vibrant communities ranging from rural and suburban to urban cities and municipalities. A truly global community, district students speak 56 different languages and represent 160 countries.

About the Broward County Public School District
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is the sixth largest school district in the nation and the second-largest school district in the state of Florida.  The District is Florida's first fully accredited school system since 1962 and has nearly 270,000 students and approximately 175,000 adult students in 241 schools, center and technical colleges, and 89 charter schools. BCPS serves a diverse student population, representing 2014 countries and 191 different languages.  

About the School District of Palm Beach County
The School District of Palm Beach County is the tenth largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 179 schools, serving more than 176,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the school district has 22,600 employees, including more than 12,000 teachers. To learn more about the School District of Palm Beach County, visit www.palmbeachschools.org.

About the Dairy Council of Florida
The Dairy Council of Florida works with schools, health professionals, social service agencies and others to educate Floridians on the health benefits of milk and other nutrient-rich dairy foods. Dairy Council of Florida programs are funded by Florida Dairy Farmers, which represents more than 100 dairy farming families throughout the state. For more information, call 800-516-4443 or visit https://www.floridamilk.com/.

About Florida Blue
Florida Blue, Florida's Blue Cross and Blue Shield company, has been providing health insurance to residents of Florida for 75 years. Driven by its mission of helping people and communities achieve better health, the company serves more than 5 million health care members across the state. In total, Florida Blue and its affiliated companies serve 27 million people in 35 states. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., it is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. 

About Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company is the largest energy company in the United States as measured by retail electricity produced and sold, serving more than 5 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million+ people across the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 30% lower than the latest national average and among the lowest in the U.S. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98%, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all electric companies nationwide. The company was recognized in 2018 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International for the fifth consecutive year. A leading Florida employer with approximately 9,100 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2019 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of Gulf Power Company, which serves more than 460,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida, and NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun and a world leader in battery storage. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.GulfPower.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com. 

About Food For Good
Food for Good works with non-profit partners to identify and implement cost-effective and efficient solutions to reach those in need. Food for Good is the signature nutrition operation of The PepsiCo Foundation and critical to its mission of helping alleviate hunger around the world. Through the unique model of a purpose-driven initiative, Food for Good has delivered more than 30 million nutritious meals since 2009 in 20 U.S. communities. For more information, please visit: http://www.pepsicofoodforgood.com/

About Sleep Number
The leader in sleep innovation, Sleep Number delivers proven, quality sleep through effortless, adjustable comfort and biometric sleep tracking. Sleep Number's revolutionary 360^® smart bed and SleepIQ^® technology are proving the connection between sleep and well-being. With one of the most comprehensive databases of biometric sleep data and ranked #1 in J.D. Power's 2018 Mattress Satisfaction Report, Sleep Number is improving lives by individualizing sleep experiences. And with a commitment to improving the lives of youth by 2025, Sleep Number is redefining the future of health and wellness—for everyone. Visit sleepnumber.com or one of over 590 Sleep Number^® stores located in all 50 states.

About Chevron
Chevron Corporation is one of the world's leading integrated energy companies. Through its subsidiaries that conduct business worldwide, the company is involved in virtually every facet of the energy industry. Chevron explores for, produces and transports crude oil and natural gas; refines, markets and distributes transportation fuels and lubricants; manufactures and sells petrochemicals and additives; generates power; and develops and deploys technologies that enhance business value in every aspect of the company's operations. Chevron is based in San Ramon, Calif. More information about Chevron is available at www.chevron.com.

Media Contacts:
Paola Argueta, Miami Dolphins, 305-943-6703
Gloria M. Garcés, 786-236-5786 and Karla Fortuny, 786-260-7592, Miami Super Bowl Host Committee
Lisa Travatello, GENYOUth, 516-503-6277

SOURCE GENYOUth

Related Links

http://www.genyouthfoundation.org

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