Buccaneers join students at a local elementary school to celebrate their Play 60 Challenge win.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have teamed up with the American Heart Association for the NFL's Play 60 campaign, encouraging youth to be active at least 60 minutes a day to combat childhood obesity. This initiative operates in elementary schools nationwide through programming focused on nutrition and interactive play. Students in Hillsborough County were active more than 7.1 million minutes during this year's Play 60 Challenge.
Among all schools taking part in the challenge, Bing Elementary played above the rest with an astounding 2,377,960 minutes, averaging 600,000 per week of activity. Students remained active by utilizing hands-on game plans provided by the National Football League for recess or while at home.
Buccaneers players, Cameron Brate, Chris Conte, Cameron Lynch, Clinton McDonald, and Keith Tandy together with cheerleaders arrived at Bing Elementary to congratulate the students on their achievement. Greeted with an entrance of high-fives by students and administration, Buccaneers player, Keith Tandy, further praised the students on the challenge win with equating the average students' minutes to playing four full football seasons with four winning Super Bowls. The Buccaneers gifted $2,500.00 in improved equipment to further promote a healthy and active lifestyle for continued play.
Kate Sawa, Executive Director for the American Heart Association of Tampa Bay, shares the importance of the Play 60 Challenge collaboration between the two organizations. "Tampa Bay Buccaneers' partnership with us to position exercise as [being] vital to children living a full, long, high quality life, is extremely powerful," said Sawa. "Together, we make a profound impact on these kids and hopefully their entire family."
Following the presentation, laughter and more excitement ensued as 5th grade students got a head start on minutes for the next Play 60 Challenge with the players, Captain Fear and Buccaneers Cheerleaders. Students trained like pros with football drills led by Bucs players and freeze dance stations with Buccaneers cheerleaders. Cameron Lynch coached hook, slant and go courses, Clinton McDonald facilitated a game of hot potato with footballs, while Cameron Brate, Chris Conte, and Keith Tandy encouraged students to embrace each drill in the rotating PLAY 60 stations. McDonald says the players equally enjoy engaging with students in the community. "It shows what big kids we really are, as opposed to us being serious on the field," said McDonald. "We get a chance to come out here and be light hearted with the kids." Bing Elementary is a renaissance school in Hillsborough County, and today's donation from the Buccaneers along with the Play 60 initiatives add healthy incentives for enrichment, goal setting and self-confidence for students at a young age.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activate the NFL's Play 60 initiatives through interactive and engaging Buccaneer-themed fitness zones at every Buccaneers Academies and events in the Tampa Bay community annually.
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