]()"I think it was great to see some celebrities because the kids look up to them," said Levett. "We're trying to send a positive message to the students here that eating healthy is very important, and to have someone special come in definitely increases their awareness of healthy eating habits and wellness."
Jenny Bourbeau, the director of communication for the New England Dairy & Food Council, said the organization has plans to extend the message of healthy living to children across New England, and that McKay school was just the start of an important process.
"The kids were really engaged and of course the Patriots get kids really excited about playing 60 and eating well," said Bourbeau. "The kids were really involved in tracking what they were eating. We think it's been good and they've learned a lot and we think they will make those behavior changes in the future."
[
]()Members of the New England Patriots donned milk mustaches and participated in kickboxing Friday as a part of the Fuel up and Play fitness initiative at Donald McKay School in East Boston.
In conjunction with the New England Dairy and Food Council, the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation sponsored the six-week program, part of the NFL Play 60 initiative.
Designed to help kids learn about healthy eating and the importance of being physically active, Fuel up and Play encourages students to record their eating habits and activity levels, and introduces ways to incorporate healthy behaviors into their everyday lives.
To cap off the final week of the program, Patriots players Sammy Morris, Stephen Gostkowski and Kenny Smith joined the McKay seventh grade class for an afternoon of exercise and education. Students learned how to make healthy fruit smoothies, did cardio kickboxing, posed for photos with milk mustaches, and signed a pledge to continue to eat healthy and stay active.
"I've always tried to pay attention to helping kids with fitness," said Morris. "This is a great way to do that and to give back to the community."
McKay physical education teacher Tom Levett saw the children progress over the last few weeks, and thought the visit from the Patriots was a great way to finish the program.
[
]()"I think it was great to see some celebrities because the kids look up to them," said Levett. "We're trying to send a positive message to the students here that eating healthy is very important, and to have someone special come in definitely increases their awareness of healthy eating habits and wellness."
Jenny Bourbeau, the director of communication for the New England Dairy & Food Council, said the organization has plans to extend the message of healthy living to children across New England, and that McKay school was just the start of an important process.
"The kids were really engaged and of course the Patriots get kids really excited about playing 60 and eating well," said Bourbeau. "The kids were really involved in tracking what they were eating. We think it's been good and they've learned a lot and we think they will make those behavior changes in the future."
