Eliminating childhood hunger has been a passion of mine for quite some time. So much so, that I’ve made it the focus of my Blocking Out Hunger Foundation. My eyes were opened wide to childhood hunger after I joined the NFL and had an opportunity to see it up close. I was even more surprised to learn that 1 out of 4 Dallas-area children rely on school meals as their sole source of food. Hunger is one of our greatest opponents. It takes away a child’s opportunity to learn. Research shows that hungry students can’t learn in school. That’s why it’s more important than ever to support programs that work toward ensuring that all kids have regular access to meals – and that support begins with breakfast.
Every March, schools across the country celebrate National School Breakfast Week. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and schools go the extra mile to provide millions of breakfasts to hungry children every single school day! Now, that deserves a round of applause.
To help celebrate, Dairy MAX hosts Breakfast Games at schools across the region to get kids excited about breakfast. I had the opportunity to participate in one in Oklahoma City in 2016 and had a blast! I’ve never seen kids so excited about cereal and yogurt. That’s what it’s all about: full stomachs and smiling faces.
Each day I’m fortunate enough to sit down to a healthy breakfast. To give all kids that same chance, my Blocking Out Hunger Foundation offers several programs to address childhood hunger – including Travis’ Pantry, which provides weekend meals to students in need.
Through my partnership with Fuel Up to Play 60, I understand that hunger doesn’t end with pancakes or with an after-school snack. It’s an all-day commitment. But, the great thing about breakfast is that you can enjoy it anytime and anyplace. If we can tackle breakfast, we can block out hunger all day long.
