Henry Puffer was recently chosen as one of 34 grand prize winners in the nationwide NFL PLAY 60’s Back to Football Friday contest, netting the school a $10,000 grant for health and fitness efforts.

To enter, schools were asked to show their NFL team spirit at a Back to Football Friday celebration in September, submit photos from the event, and share why health and wellness is important at their school. Each of the schools selected as an NFL PLAY 60 Super School—one for each NFL team—receive a $10,000 health and wellness grant, and an NFL team celebration that will include an NFL PLAY 60 ultimate gym class.

Suzy Schellbach, president of the Puffer-Hefty PTA, said she saw a flier about the contest in the PTO/PTA magazine at the beginning of the year.

“I asked our PTA Vice President, Nancy Leonard, if we should try it, and we both said, ‘what do we have to lose?’” Schellbach said.

According to Puffer’s winning essay, written by PTA Secretary Agnes Hicks and PTA Lung Run Chair Jennifer Stephens, the school “has a long-standing tradition of supporting health and wellness. We believe healthy, physically fit students have a better chance for long-term success in the classroom and in life.”

Puffer chose to host its NFL celebration in conjunction with the school’s 24th annual Jean Pogue Lung Run, held in honor of a retired physical education teacher.

Students showed their Chicago Bears pride with spirit-wear, and there was a sea of blue and orange as the nearly 200 participants lined up to begin their run. Puffer physical education teacher Jeanne Smith helped the children to stretch and warm up as some of their favorite music played. The children enjoyed healthy snacks – orange slices, yogurt, cheese sticks and juice -- after completing their run, and the event ended with an impromptu dance party.

In addition to the Lung Run, other extracurricular activities at Puffer that encourage healthy lifestyles include a walk/run hosted by the student council to benefit a health- related cause, and a Field Day organized by the P.E. teacher and PTA with outdoor games to promote fun and fitness.

“Health and wellness is very important to us at Puffer, and we were thrilled to learn that we were chosen to receive the grand prize. The grant will truly benefit our students, and we are very grateful to our PTA for organizing Puffer’s participation in this contest. They really did a great deal of work,” said Henry Puffer Principal Todd McDaniel.

When the news about the grand prize was shared during Puffer’s morning announcements October 18, cheers could be heard in the office from all around the school, McDaniel said.

The NFL PLAY 60 grant will be used to improve health and wellness for students at Henry Puffer. The school and PTA are weighing a number of options for use of the money at Puffer; in addition, part of the grant will be donated to a local non-profit organization that addresses the fight against childhood obesity, or to another health- related cause.

Supporting this year’s Lung Run at Henry Puffer were PTA committee chair Jennifer Stephens; PTA President Suzy Schellbach; PTA Vice President Nancy Leonard; PTA Secretary Agnes Hicks; PTA Treasurer Kathy Kriz; Puffer Principal Todd McDaniel; Puffer P.E. teacher Jeanne Smith; building engineer Nancy Zambrano; Dewey and Lisa Kasko; Tammy Johnson, Amanda St. Clair, Katie Rodriguez, Kristen Scofield, Heather Schwertfeger, Tania Yackle, Julie Lyons, Joanne Vought, PTA Secretary Agnes Hicks; PTA Treasurer Kathy Kriz; and all the staff, students and parents who participated.