Hogansville Elementary School wins Danimals and NFL PLAY 60 Virtual Recess Takeover Contest

The contest set out to recognize K-12 schools and as the grand prize winner, the school received a virtual meet and greet with NFL superstar Mark Ingram and surprise gifts from Dollar General totaling nearly $60,000

News provided by

Danone North America

Nov 11, 2020, 08:00 ET

HOGANSVILLE, Ga., Nov. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- When almost all K-12 schools across the United States transitioned to virtual learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some students who rely on their school as a source of nutrition, learning, physical activity and socialization were at risk. K-12 school staff, foodservice professionals, and communities worked diligently to keep students well-fed and healthy. Danimals® and NFL PLAY 60 teamed up to put on the 'Virtual Recess Takeover' contest, which recognized schools' vital role in promoting health and wellness through food, physical activity and literacy.

Hogansville Elementary School wins Danimals and NFL PLAY 60 Virtual Recess Takeover Contest

As the contest's grand prize winner, students, teachers and administrators at Hogansville Elementary in Hogansville, Georgia were treated to a day they won't soon forget. They received the unforgettable grand prize of a special virtual recess takeover featuring a virtual meet-and-greet with NFL superstar running back Mark Ingram. Each student also received a 'swag bag' with fitness equipment from Danimals® and teachers received a stocked fridge in the teacher's lounge.

Dollar General learned about the school being honored and the efforts to support literacy and education and was eager to add support towards the initiative. As a part of its Reading Revolution program, Dollar General Corporation provided a generous $50,000 gift to support the school's literacy initiatives. The Company also awarded approximately $10,000 in supplies, which included a book for every student and gift cards and 3M supplies to teachers, staff, and administrators.

"During this time when education has been disrupted and there is a threat of a widening academic achievement gap, we are grateful for all the educators who are working to ensure their students receive continuous educational support," said Denine Torr, Dollar General's Senior Director of Community Initiatives. "Through our mission of Serving Others, we are proud to join Danimals® and help Hogansville Elementary build healthy bodies and minds."

Hogansville Elementary, which is approximately one hour southwest of Atlanta, worked to ensure its school community had the necessary food and resources at the start of the pandemic. In fact, the school's teachers and staff personally delivered meals to students' homes, and the principal and counselor directly called each household.

"Schools are such an important source of consistent nutrition and physical activity for kids, particularly those experiencing food-insecurity," says Amanda Fried, Associate Brand Manager at Danone North America. "We were inspired by the great lengths that the staff at Hogansville Elementary took to continue to support their students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thrilled to join forces with like-minded partners to celebrate and give back to one of the many deserving schools."

While Hogansville Elementary's Principal, Gina Turner, was aware of the virtual recess award for her school, the Dollar General donation came as a complete surprise. "Today was an incredible day for Hogansville. The prizes and donation we received today will do a world of good for our staff who have worked so hard, and our students who have experienced so much change this year."

K-12 foodservice staff members from across the country were invited to nominate a school, and the contest received nearly 100 submissions with stories of K-12 schools going above and beyond for their students and their communities during the pandemic.

Danimals also awarded 10 runner-up schools with a NFLShop.com gift card, along with a personalized video message from Mark Ingram. The runner-up schools were Madison Park Middle in Phoenix, AZ; Clayton Partnership in Thornton, CO; Bella Romero Academy in Greeley, CO; Hawthorn Hill Elementary in Lee's Summit, MO; Hazlewood Elementary in Town Creek, AL; T.G. Barr in Phoenix, AZ; Matthew Arthur Elementary in Kathleen, GA; Ridge View Community School in Dexter, ME; Roscommon Middle in Roscommon, MI; and Troutman Elementary in Troutman, NC.

To learn more about Danimals®, visit www.danimals.com.

About Danone North America:
Danone North America is a purpose-driven company with a portfolio of dairy and plant-based foods. Our portfolio of brands includes: Danimals®, Dannon®, Horizon Organic®, International Delight®, Light + Fit®, Oikos®, Silk®, So Delicious® Dairy Free, STōK™, Two Good®, and many more. Our mission is to "Bring Health Through Food to as Many People as Possible." As the largest Certified B Corporation in the world, we are working to drive a food revolution, which we do through partnership with all our stakeholders to produce, market, and consume food in new, healthier and more sustainable ways. For more information, visit www.danonenorthamerica.com.

About Dollar General Corporation
Dollar General Corporation has been delivering value to shoppers for more than 80 years through its mission of Serving Others. Dollar General helps shoppers Save time. Save money. Every day!® by offering products that are frequently used and replenished, such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids, cleaning supplies, basic apparel, housewares and seasonal items at everyday low prices in convenient neighborhood locations. Dollar General operated 16,720 stores in 46 states as of July 31, 2020. In addition to high-quality private brands, Dollar General sells products from America's most-trusted manufacturers such as Clorox, Energizer, Procter & Gamble, Hanes, Coca-Cola, Mars, Unilever, Nestle, Kimberly-Clark, Kellogg's, General Mills, and PepsiCo. Learn more about Dollar General at www.dollargeneral.com.

About NFL PLAY 60:
NFL PLAY 60 is the League's national youth health and wellness initiative to encourage kids to get physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. Since PLAY 60 launched in 2007, the NFL has committed more than $352 million to youth health and fitness through PLAY 60 programming, grants and media time for public service announcements. Over the past decade, the NFL has partnered with leading academic, scientific and nonprofit organizations, including the American Heart Association, National Dairy Council, Special Olympics, Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Jude, and the United Way, to help children of all abilities lead healthier, active lives. The NFL and its clubs have supported programs in over 73,000 schools and constructed more than 265 youth fitness zones nationwide—giving more than 38 million children an opportunity to boost their physical activity levels. Research conducted by The Cooper Institute through its NFL PLAY 60 FitnessGram® Project revealed annual improvements in aerobic capacity and body mass index for students participating in NFL PLAY 60 programming when compared to schools not utilizing NFL PLAY 60 programs. The NFL and its partners are committed to continue the PLAY 60 movement for an active and healthier generation for years to come. For more information, please visit NFL.com/PLAY60.

SOURCE Danone North America