The American Heart Association and National Football League have selected 136 schools nationwide to receive Kids Heart Challenge™, American Heart Challenge™, and NFL PLAY 60™ grants aimed at improving student physical activity and faculty well-being. This initiative comes as statistics reveal concerning trends in youth movement, with only 1 in 4 children ages 6 to 11 getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity, a rate that more than doubles for youth ages 12 to 17 according to the American Heart Association.
This year marks the launch of an enhanced grant structure that includes a $350,000 annual funding pool provided by the NFL, building on the existing school grant program established by the American Heart Association. The annual winners were announced at an NFL PLAY 60 school assembly held at Lawton Alternative School in San Francisco, California, with NFL mascots including Carolina Panthers' Sir Purr, Atlanta Falcons' Freddie Falcon, Detroit Lions' Roary and Kansas City Chiefs' K.C. Wolf in attendance for the unveiling celebration ahead of Super Bowl LX.
"Every student deserves the chance to learn, grow and feel their best throughout the school day," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. "By expanding this grant program, we are helping schools create more moments of movement and more spaces where kids feel supported in both their physical and emotional well-being." Brown emphasized that as the organization shapes its next century of impact, it is proud to work alongside the NFL to ensure students everywhere have access to opportunities that will allow them to live longer, healthier lives.
NFL PLAY 60 grants support four key areas identified by schools and educators: physical activity equipment, FLAG football, recess enhancements and inclusive physical education, and well-being resources. "For two decades, NFL PLAY 60 has been committed to helping kids lead healthier, more active lives, and this year's expanded grant program reflects that commitment in an even larger way," said Megan Mendoza, Senior Manager of Social Responsibility at the NFL. "We're proud to work with the American Heart Association to give schools across the country the tools and resources they need to inspire movement, strengthen well-being and ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive."
Rooted in science, the NFL PLAY 60 initiative helps children develop healthy habits for a better chance of a healthy adulthood by encouraging kids to get a minimum of 60 minutes of vigorous physical activity each day to meet the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. This season, NFL mascots are working to inspire kids to move more to support mental and physical well-being by joining the inaugural NFL PLAY 60 Ambassador Class, which includes eight mascot representatives from various NFL teams.
NFL PLAY 60 grant applications are accepted year-round, with another group of grant recipients scheduled to be announced in April. Information on NFL PLAY 60 resources and available grant opportunities can be found online at https://heart.org/NFLPLAY60. The collaboration between these two major organizations represents a significant investment in addressing the physical activity crisis among American youth, providing schools with practical resources to create environments where students can develop lifelong healthy habits while supporting the educators who guide them.
