DALLAS—The Dallas Cowboys Rookie Club joined local nonprofit Hunger Busters and volunteers from UnitedHealthcare Tuesday in assembling and distributing meals to food-insecure students at Botello Elementary School in Dallas.
In assembly line fashion, nine Cowboys rookie players – Gavin Escobar, Travis Frederick, Jeff Heath, DeVonte Holloman, Cameron Lawrence, Joseph Randle, B.W. Webb, J.J. Wilcox and Terrance Williams – boxed more than 100 meals provided by Hunger Busters. The meals were sent home with Botello students at the end of their school day, as well as goodie bags full of Cowboys and UnitedHealthcare school supplies.
As part of the event, students also enjoyed a Fuel Up to Play 60 assembly wherein players were tested on their nutrition knowledge and paired up with students to show off their football spikes and touchdown dances. Fuel Up to Play 60, a collaboration between the NFL, National Dairy Council (locally managed by Dairy MAX) and USDA, is a nutrition and physical activity program that empowers students to take charge of their health by making positive changes within their schools.
With more than 88 percent of students in the Dallas Independent School District qualifying for food assistance, Hunger Busters works to provide much-needed third meals to food-insecure students through its "Feed the Need" after-school program. The nonprofit delivers more than 3,000 nutritious meals to hungry children each week in an effort to improve their overall health, academic performance and ability to grow into civic-minded adults.
Tuesday's assembly was also part of the Cowboys' celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), as 98 percent of Botello students are of Hispanic or Latino descent.
The 2013 Dallas Cowboys Rookie Club – an annual outreach initiative designed to introduce the team's newest members to the importance of giving back to the North Texas community – is presented by UnitedHealthcare, the community partner of the Dallas Cowboys. UnitedHealthcare is a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives by simplifying the health care system, meeting consumer health and wellness needs and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers.
