NY JETS PLAYER, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY TO ANNOUNCE 2012 BEST SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS IN NEW JERSEY

(TRENTON) – New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and New York Jets Offensive Tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson will visit West New York Public School #4 on Tuesday, November 27 to honor the school as this year’s Eat Right, Move More program grand prize winner.

 In addition to the visit, the school will receive a $5,000 kitchen makeover made possible by the Jets and American Dairy Association & Dairy Council’s Fuel Up to Play 60 campaign, along with being recognized on field at the Jets home game versus the Arizona Cardinals at MetLife Stadium on December 2.

 The Eat Right, Move More program, a partnership between the Jets, the Department of Agriculture and the American Dairy Association & Dairy Council’s Fuel Up to Play 60 campaign, encourages New Jersey school children to take advantage of healthy foods in their school cafeterias and become more active.

 This year, there was an emphasis on selecting schools that offer breakfast in the classroom.  Additionally, school lunch and breakfast menus were reviewed and the schools had to show strong support and demonstrate efforts to improve nutrition and physical activity among their students.

 As a professional football team that plays in New Jersey, the Jets regularly promote youth health, fitness, and education, particularly in disadvantaged communities.  Ferguson has been the spokesman for the Eat Right, Move More campaign since its inception in 2006.

 The Department of Agriculture’s school nutrition policy is the most comprehensive in the nation and covers pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students.  The policy limits fat and sugar content in foods offered in a la carte lines, snack bars and vending machines, school stores and as part of on-campus fund-raisers.

 The press conference will take place 1 p.m. Tuesday, November 27 at Public School #4, 6300 Palisade Avenue, West New York, NJ 07093.

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