(EAST RUTHERFORD) – The New Jersey Department of Agriculture and New York Jets honored Pace Charter School of Hamilton on the field Sunday, September 24 at the Jets/Miami Dolphins football game at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford for its nutrition and wellness achievements.

Pace Charter School was the 2016-17 Grand Champion in the Department of Agriculture’s Jets Play 60 Eat Right, Move More Program, a collaboration between the Jets, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Dairy Northeast that encourages New Jersey school children to take advantage of healthy foods in their school cafeterias and become more active. Also as part of its award, the school received a $15,000 grant.

“The message of eating right and getting more physical activity really hit home for Pace Charter School students who attended the game,” said Rose Tricario, director of the NJDA’s Food and Nutrition Division. “They had a great time but also saw what people can achieve if they take good care of themselves and work hard.”

Department of Agriculture representatives, four Pace students, and four parents were brought onto the playing field prior to the game where they were video-taped, and the tape was played on the stadium’s large video board during a break in the game as the school’s achievement was announced.

The students who attended the game were Ky’Shawn Williams, Kennedy Williams, Mekhi Childs and MaKavion Robinson. They were accompanied by parents Kenneth Williams, Lakisha Williams, Torry Childs and Tamara Childs.

In addition to being honored at the Jets game, Jets offensive lineman Wesley Johnson and Brandon Shell visited the school in May to meet and play games with students.

Pace Charter School offers fresh fruits and vegetables with lunch as well as other times throughout the day and a healthy snack minimally three times a week. In addition, over 100 students participated in and completed the Jets Play 60 portion of the program.

Pace Charter School entered the “Eat Right, Move More” program where schools must have at least 100 students participate in the Jets PLAY 60 program. Schools in the contest applied last January for kitchen and physical education grants and the Jets player visit.

There were also three “Division Champions:” Amerigo A. Anastasia School in Long Branch, Linden High School and West New York School #2. Each were awarded a $5,000 grant and a Jets player visited the schools last spring. The next entry period for the contest will be in January of 2018.

The New Jersey Department of Agriculture administers the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs, special milk and after-school snack, Summer Food Service Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program. Almost 700,000 children eat lunch at school every day in the Garden State.

As a professional football team that plays in New Jersey, the Jets take great pride in a long-standing, year-round commitment to our community. Programs funded by the New York Jets Foundation look to positively influence the future for countless young men and women in the tri-state area by promoting fitness and supporting youth football, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

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 To learn more about the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NJDeptofAgriculture and www.facebook.com/JerseyFreshOfficial or Twitter @NJDA1 and @JerseyFreshNJDA.