Dallas, Texas—Honorable Texas State Senator Royce West joined Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee and kids from Williams Preparatory School in Dallas Tuesday to celebrate the opening of the fifth Dallas Cowboys Play 60 Fitness Zone.
The Fitness Zone, made possible by Cowboys' partner GlaxoSmithKline and Gene and Jerry Jones Family Charities, will be the premiere physical activities space for students at Williams Preparatory, an Uplift Education charter school and a Boys and Girls Club after-school program center. The space comes fully loaded with Strive Fitness Equipment, equipment designed specifically for adolescent users, and a 32-inch flat-screen television with a PS3 gaming system generously donated by Sony.
Before the ceremonial ribbon cutting, Lee, West and representatives from both Uplift Education and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas spoke on the importance of utilizing the Fitness Zone to ensure students are getting their 60 minutes a day of physical activity. West referenced the troubling childhood obesity statistics in the U.S.—more than 25% of Texas children are considered overweight or obese—and Lee even got the front row of listeners on their feet, engaging them in a drill that keeps him in shape as a Dallas Cowboy.
Surprise grants from Gene and Jerry Jones Family Charities were presented to the Williams Preparatory administration, as well as to representatives of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas. The grants are for the two organizations to maintain and continuously improve their new space with additional fitness equipment and supplies.
The Fitness Zone is part of the NFL's Play 60 initiative aimed at ending childhood obesity and inspiring kids to eat nutritiously and be active 60 minutes of every day. The campaign reflects the NFL and Dallas Cowboys' long-standing commitment to health and fitness and enlists the support of an impressive roster of partner organizations such as GlaxoSmithKline.
Work on the Fitness Zone began last month with help from former Cowboys player and five-time Super Bowl champion Charles Haley, as well as the generosity of Southern Painting and Sherwin-Williams. Haley joined students and Cowboys mascot "Rowdy" in painting and prepping the space on Sept. 18. Read the full story here: /news/article-CommunityBlog/Haley-Paints-Fitness-Zone-With-DFW-Boys--Girls-Club-Youth/a32f1b43-3b64-46cb-8921-d5f53e4a0cba.
The build is also in honor of the Dallas Cowboys and NFL's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15), as the enrollment at Williams Preparatory is 95% Hispanic.
The Cowboys organization is proud to have already installed four other Fitness Zones around the DFW Metroplex, and looks forward to installing more in the spirit of making the next generation of youngsters the most healthy and active.
