Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr joined up with the American Heart Association, the NFL and Reliant to kick off the 2013 Dallas Cowboys Play 60 Challenge on Tuesday.
The challenge is a six-week program designed to help schools create an active and healthy lifestyle for kids. Carr joined Arlington mayor Robert Cluck on Tuesday morning at Carter Junior High School to celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.
"My message to you today is pay attention to your health, your heart health. Exercise, eat correctly and have fun," Cluck said. [embedded_ad]
Sponsored by Reliant, the official electricity supplier for the Dallas Cowboys, the Play 60 Challenge includes three main components: a Teacher Guide that provides lesson plans integrating physical activities; a Student Planner allowing youth to track their goals and play time at school and at home; and a nutritional partnership with Fuel Up to Play 60 that encourages youth to combine a diet of nutrient-rich foods with 60-minutes of activity every day.
Reliant will provide all Carter students a Play 60 Challenge t-shirt and student planner (either English or Spanish translation) to help boost their success in the program. All students participating across the metroplex are eligible to win prizes provided by Reliant, the Dallas Cowboys and the AHA based upon their success within the Play 60 Challenge program this school year.
"Health and wealth are really not the same thing. Health is far more important," Carr told the students. "All the money in the world cannot bring you health. You can be a billionaire millionaire but that cannot keep you from having heart disease, diabetes, whatever the case may be."
The day began with a pep rally with Carr eventually taking questions from Carter students. The second-year Cowboy and six-year NFL veteran challenged the students to set goals for themselves during the program.
"Challenge each other each and every day for the next six weeks," he said. "Challenge yourself and challenge your neighbor. Come up with three goals and see if you can accomplish them within these next six weeks."
