The Auburn School District will receive a $7,000 Fuel Up To Play 60 (FUTP 60) grant from the Washington State Dairy Council at 2:15 p.m. Monday during an assembly at Evergreen Heights Elementary, 5602 316th St.

Fuel Up to Play 60, which operates in conjunction with the National Football League’s Play 60 effort, is an in-school nutrition and physical education program that encourages students to consume nutrient-rich foods and achieve at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily.

Seattle Seahawks’ mascot Blitz, the Sea Gals and Seahawks star Marcus Trufant will attend the assembly.

The Auburn School District approached the Dairy Council for assistance when they discovered that half of the children in their breakfast program didn’t take milk as part of their meal. To remedy this problem the district applied for a breakfast grant to start a “yogurt smoothie program” in 10 of the district’s elementary and middle schools.

The $7,000 will be distributed among the schools and used to purchase blenders and related equipment to serve smoothies in district cafeterias on a daily basis.

“A smoothie with low-fat milk or yogurt and fruit is an excellent way for students to get the benefits of dairy in a convenient and delicious package,” said Linda Mendoza, RD, CD., health and wellness manager with Washington State Dairy Council.

The school with the highest percentage increase in the number of students eating breakfast will be awarded a “Breakfast with Blitz.”

The ultimate goal is to ensure changes made at school are sustainable so children have more opportunities to be physically active and to eat nutrient-rich foods like low-fat and fat-free milk, fruit, whole grains and vegetables throughout the school campus.

Blitz will lead students through a series of physical activities. Trufant will talk to the school’s 440 students about the importance of dairy has part of a healthy, active lifestyle.

“We hope this grant, and grants to other schools across the state, will help create a healthy school environment by providing resources and nutrition information in both classrooms and cafeterias,” Mendoza said.