Fuel Up to Play 60 and Chelan Fresh announced Sept. 28 a new collaboration to increase student access to more nutritious food choices -- including dairy -- in schools.

Chelan Fresh, one of Washington state’s largest suppliers of apples and pears and the nation’s largest provider of fresh cherries, will provide portable breakfast/salad bar carts to 15 Fuel Up to Play 60 schools in 11 states. Fuel Up to Play 60 is the nation’s leading in-school wellness program, created by America’s dairy farmers through their dairy checkoff and the National Football League (NFL), with support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More than 13 million U.S. students come from food-insecure households that lack the means to regularly provide enough nutritious food. The portable breakfast/salad bar carts are an innovative solution that will reach nearly 9,000 students, serving an estimated 1.3 million meals annually.

Research shows that improved nutrition -- including daily breakfast -- and increased physical activity can lead to improved academic performance. Eating breakfast at school can help kids be more attentive, behave better and achieve higher test scores.

“America’s dairy farmers and the dairy community are thankful to continue our long-standing relationship with Chelan Fresh and their growers and to have their support in nourishing schools and communities through Fuel Up to Play 60,” said Marilyn Hershey, Pennsylvania dairy farmer and chair of Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff. “This joint effort will provide more students across the country with access to nutritious meals in a convenient, on-the-go setting, giving them the nourishment they need to help fuel greatness.”

The carts will be provided to schools in Arizona, California, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, South Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Washington for the 2018-19 school year.

Chelan Fresh began its support of Fuel Up to Play 60 in 2011 and has since provided more than $750,000 in funding and in-kind resources to increase student access to nutritious foods and increased physical activity.

“As one of the original supporters of the Fuel Up to Play 60 team, Chelan Fresh has been a leader in the produce industry, ensuring kids try and continue to choose nutritious food items at school and at home,” Chelan Fresh director of marketing Mac Riggan said.