Quaker® Teams Up With Fuel Up To Play 60 And Emmitt Smith To Help Families Prepare For Back-To-School
Quaker Helps Families Kick Start the School Year with 1,000 Back-to-School Fuel Packs and a Grand Prize NFL Experience

CHICAGO, Aug. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- For families, the back-to-school season can be hectic. From shopping for school supplies to providing their kids with a positive start to the day through a nourishing breakfast, parents across the country work hard to set their kids up for success. But there's another season kicking off this fall that almost parallels the preparations for back-to-school: football season. As both families and players prepare for what's to come, Quaker® is teaming up with Fuel Up to Play 60, which empowers students to lead change and improve wellness in over 73,000 schools nationwide, and Emmitt Smith, professional football icon and father of five, to help fuel families across the country for the upcoming season. In addition to tips and advice, The Quaker Oats Company, a division of PepsiCo, Inc., is giving fans a chance to win one of 1,000 back-to-school fuel packs and one grand prize professional football experience.

Quaker® is teaming up with Fuel Up to Play 60, which empowers students to lead change and improve wellness in over 73,000 schools nationwide, and Emmitt Smith, professional football icon and father of five, to help fuel families across the country for the upcoming season.

From his days gearing up for the football season, to getting his own kids (ages four through 19) prepped for a new school year, Smith knows firsthand that a healthy lifestyle helps families prepare for any season ahead.

"With five kids, four of them still at home, I know that getting them off to a great start at back-to-school time sets the tone for the entire year," said Smith. "Similar to when I was preparing for training camp each fall and getting my body and mind ready for the season, I try to make sure my kids go into each new school year ready to excel. That starts with fueling your body the right way. My kids always begin each morning with a quality breakfast at home so they are focused and fueled as they start each day."

In addition to starting the day off with nourishing foods, Smith's top tips for a successful school year include:

  • Start the school year off with a fresh mindset. A new school year, much like a new football season, brings new opportunities to learn and grow and new ways to strive for your goals.
  • A new year means a new group of teammates and friends. Surround yourself with the people who will help you achieve your goals.

"Research1 shows that a good diet, combined with physical activity, plays an important role in students' overall wellbeing," said Becky Frankiewicz, senior vice president and general manager, Quaker. "Together with Emmitt Smith and Fuel Up to Play 60, we're thrilled to give families the tools and tips they want to manage both a balanced diet and active play as they adjust to the new school year routine."

To kick start the upcoming school year, families have a chance to win one of 1,000 back-to-school fuel packs, complete with Quaker products and a Fuel Up to Play 60 football. One lucky sweepstakes participant will also win a grand prize experience with Emmitt Smith, including a video chat with personalized back-to-school advice and tickets to an NFL game2.

To enter the sweepstakes, consumers are encouraged to follow @Quaker on Twitter and share their families' favorite ways to fuel up for the start of the school year. Tweets must use the designated hashtags #QuakerBTS and #sweepstakes. Entries may be submitted once per day from Monday, August 10 to Friday, August 14. For more information and the official rules, follow @Quaker on Twitter.

Another way Quaker has helped inspire a positive back-to-school season was as a premier sponsor of Fuel Up to Play 60's annual Student Ambassador Summit in Chicago from July 22-25. More than 150 students from across the country came together to develop skills in leadership, teamwork and communication to further inspire sensible eating and physical activity in schools. Students also shared their own tips for fueling greatness for back-to-school in a series of student-produced videos and brainstorms. Top student tips to kick-start the year included: 

  • Be yourself and don't be afraid to make mistakes – mistakes are opportunities to grow stronger.
  • Give yourself enough time in the morning to eat a fulfilling breakfast. A balanced meal in the morning helps ensure you get the day off to a great start.
  • Get into the back-to-school routine with a positive mindset. Don't stress – just do your best and have fun!

Quaker has been committed to fueling families for the past 138 years by offering nourishing products made with whole grain oats, educating families on the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and seeking partners that offer physical activity solutions. Entities like Fuel Up to Play 60 and Emmitt Smith help continue that mission.

To learn more about Quaker products or news, visit www.quakeroats.com. To learn more about the nation's largest in-school wellness program and to join the team, visit FuelUpToPlay60.com. For more details about the sweepstakes and for official rules, follow @Quaker on Twitter.

Suggested Tweets:

  • .@Quaker teams up w/ @FUTP60 & @EmmittSmith22 to help families fuel up for #backtoschool. Read more: http://bit.ly/1hnPqjk #QuakerBTS
  • Ready for #backtoschool? @EmmittSmith22 says eating right & getting active helps fuel the year ahead. http://bit.ly/1hnPqjk #QuakerBTS
  • Tell @Quaker how your family fuels up for school & you could win a #QuakerBTS fuel pack! Learn more: http://bit.ly/1hnPqjk #sweepstakes
  • .@EmmittSmith22 on #backtoschool: "My kids start each morning by eating nourishing foods." Read more: http://bit.ly/1hnPqjk #QuakerBTS

About The Quaker® Oats Company 
The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 130 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Holding leadership positions in their respective categories, Quaker® Oats, Quaker® Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy® Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com, www.Facebook.com/Quaker or follow us on Twitter @Quaker.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $66 billion in net revenue in 2014, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable growth and shareholder value. In practice, Performance with Purpose means providing a wide range of foods and beverages from treats to healthy eats; finding innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment and reduce our operating costs; providing a safe and inclusive workplace for our employees globally; and respecting, supporting and investing in the local communities where we operate. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

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About Fuel Up to Play 60
Fuel Up to Play 60 is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program launched by National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC), which was founded by America's dairy farmers, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The program encourages youth to consume nutrient-rich foods (low-fat and fat-free dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains) and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day. As a result of the program, 13 million students are making better food choices by selecting nutritious options like low-fat and fat-free dairy products, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Additionally, 16 million students are getting more physically active during the school day as a result of the program.

Fuel Up to Play 60 is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive changes for themselves and their schools. Customizable and non-prescriptive program components are grounded in research with youth, including tools and resources, in-school promotional materials, a website and student contests. Visit FuelUpToPlay60.com to learn more.

1 GENYOUth Foundation, National Dairy Council, American College of Sports Medicine, American School Health Association, TheWellness Impact: Enhancing Academic Success through Healthy School Environments, 2013

2 The potential Grand Prize winner will be contacted via email to the email address that he/she used to register for the Promotion. The Skype call with Emmitt Smith will take place at a time and date determined by the Sponsor. The Sponsor will select the NFL Game, in its sole and absolute discretion, based in part on the Grand Prize winner's location.

Quaker Inquiries:

Fuel Up to Play 60 Inquiries:

Maureen Murray

Christina Smith Marion

312.396.4390

847.627.3207

Maureen.Murray@zenogroup.com

Christina.Marion@rosedmi.com

 

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SOURCE Quaker