ODESSA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookies were the big men on campus at Starkey Ranch K-8 school on Tuesday.
“I can only imagine what it would have meant like for me when I was their age, and a bunch of NFL players came to their school,” Bucs offensive lineman Luke Goedeke told ABC Action News sports anchor Kyle Burger.
The players tied on their aprons and put on their hairnets to assist the staff by helping prepare and serve lunch to students.
The Bucs teamed up with the Dairy Council of Florida and their flagship program ‘Fuel Up to Play 60.’
“The ‘Play 60’, I remember going through school, and we had the exact same thing,” Goedeke said. “Promoting healthy eating habits, promoting that hour of physical activity a day, whether it’s running, walking, playing football outside. I believe that’s really huge for our future generations growing up.”
Goedeke is the Bucs’ 312-pound offensive guard. He was excited to serve the students his favorite food.
“I was a little surprised at first a lot of kids were going for the Smuckers over the cheeseburger,” he said. “I ain’t gonna lie I was built on a cheeseburger. Anywhere we went growing up I would order a cheeseburger. It doesn’t matter if was a super nice restaurant, I was ‘give I get one cheeseburger with just ketchup.’”
The Dairy Council is also celebrating the Pasco County Nutrition staff by providing some lucky members with tickets to the Bucs’ home opener.
“We have a hometown grant, and we select a school I the community,” Teresa Moran-Wiebe, VP of Youth Wellness for the Dairy Council of Florida, said. “This is the school you see here. As part of the grant, the cafeteria will receive equipment that will help serve nutritious meals.”
The Dairy Council of Florida’s flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60, is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by the National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC), founded by America's dairy farmers in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
As a result of the program, 14 million students are making better food choices by selecting nutritious options like low-fat and fat-free dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Additionally, 18 million students are getting more physically active during the school day as a result of the program.
