Winner will Receive an All-Expense-Paid Trip for Two to the NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii
Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott and NY Jets Tight End Dustin Keller today announced a sweepstakes to encourage parents to submit the school meals application that determines if they qualify for free and reduced-price lunch for their children. Parents will be automatically entered in the sweepstakes when they submit the application form. The winning family receives a trip for two sponsored by the Jets to the National Football League Pro Bowl in Hawaii in 2012.
View photos of the event at Fort Hamilton High School.
The SchoolFood program, with support from the sweepstakes, helps to ensure that eligible students receive lunch served in city public schools at a reduced price or for free. Chancellor Walcott and Keller made the announcement at Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn, where they were joined by Deputy Chancellor of Operations Kathleen Grimm, DOE Chief Executive for School Support Services Eric Goldstein and Fort Hamilton High School Principal Jo Ann Chester.
To make it easy to apply, families can call their principals or access the lunch applications through two websites, either
https://www.applyforlunch.com/Application or ACCESS NYC at
www.nyc.gov/accessnyc, the online tool that allows New Yorkers to pre-screen on a single website for human services benefits offered by more than 35 different City, State, and Federal programs. The online application simplifies the process for families with children in different schools, allowing them to submit one application for all of their children instead of separate applications for each child.
“We want to make sure every eligible family submits a meals application for free or reduced-price lunch, which can save them more than $250 a year,” Chancellor Walcott said. “Once the application is submitted, it automatically will be entered for a chance to win a trip to Hawaii, thanks to the Jets. The meals application will help families ensure their children get a nutritious lunch at little or no cost.”
“Whether you are on the football field or in the classroom, eating healthy is key to performance,” said Jets Tight End Dustin Keller. “The SchoolFood program available in New York City public schools is changing lives and can help even more students. I am proud to be part of educating students on the importance of nutrition, fitness and raising awareness for this great program.”
“We provide nutritious and delicious meals every day that are high in fiber and low in calories, and we want all our families to take advantage of a federal program that helps them defray the cost of these meals,” said Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm. “Without these applications, the $1.50 cost of a school lunch can become a barrier to those children who need these meals the most.”
“We want every child who is eligible to get their meals at school either for free or at a reduced price, and we need to receive forms from parents to ensure that this happens,” CEO Eric Goldstein said. “I want to thank the Jets for providing a special incentive to encourage families to participate.”
“The Jets have been supportive of our students on the field and in the classroom,” Public Schools Athletic League Director Donald Douglas said. “Their support has helped to sustain our teams and introduced our student athletes to a top-notch competitive program.”
More than 30,000 student-athletes, both boys and girls, participate in the PSAL, with many playing multiple sports. In addition, more than 200 high schools participate, competing in 28 varsity sports and nine junior varsity sports, represented by more than 2,400 teams.
The Department of Education serves 860,000 meals each day. The lunch application is essential in determining federal reimbursement for the expenses that the City incurs in providing these meals. The Department also uses the application to help determine Title I funding for schools and student eligibility for Supplemental Educational Services.
Over the next several weeks, school administrators, teachers, and parent coordinators will inform parents about the sweepstakes and remind them to submit the school lunch applications. All students whose applications are processed by October 21 will be eligible for a variety of prizes, including a free trip, donated by the Jets, for the winning family to Hawaii to attend the Pro Bowl in January. The grand-prize winner will be selected in a random drawing and announced on October 24. This is the seventh year the Jets have donated a trip to the Pro Bowl.