Here are a few stories about your dairy checkoff programs in Virginia. If you have any questions or need promotional materials please contact me.
Elizabeth Moretz  emoretz@sedairy.org  828-406-9482
Governor and First Lady Join ADA of Virginia to Kick Off National School Breakfast Week
Virginia kicked off National School Breakfast Week (March 6-10) with an event at Bensley Elementary School in Chesterfield County. The ADA of Virginia helped coordinate the event which included a visit from Virginia Governor and First Lady Terry and Dorothy McAuliffe. Governor McAuliffe officially proclaimed March 6-10 as National School Breakfast Week and was joined by Reggie Barlow, former NFL player and Fuel Up to Play 60 advocate. Reggie spoke to students about the importance of dairy at breakfast. School breakfast is a great mover of dairy and is strongly supported by the Office of the First Lady.

Photo: Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe visits with students at Bensley Elementary during National School Breakfast Week.
WSLS-TV Channel 10 Features Dairy on National Pizza Day
Dairy's role in a healthy diet continues to be featured across various media outlets in Virginia. The ADA of Virginia's Lisa Raum appeared on WSLS-TV Channel 10 in Roanoke twice during February. She featured dairy-friendly, healthy pizza recipes in celebration of National Pizza Day. Click here to see her interview.  In February, over 185,500 consumers in Virginia have received positive dairy messages through media appearances such as this one.

Photo: ADA of Virginia's Lisa Raum promotes dairy on WSLS-TV Channel 10 in Roanoke.
Dairy Highlighted at Richmond Women's Expo
On February 4, the Richmond Women's Health Expo drew over 3,400 attendees to learn more about women's health issues, and ADA of Virginia sponsored a booth to highlight the health benefits of dairy. Staffer Lisa Raum provided dairy education resources and cheese samples, and was also interviewed about dairy by WTVR-TV Channel 6. WTVR also ran dairy promotional articles on their website on the dates surrounding the event.

Photo: Staffer Lisa Raum speaks with attendees at the Richmond Women's Health Expo about the health benefits of dairy. 
Virginia School Wins Grand Prize in Dannon ®  Yogurt Recipe Contest
Crestwood Intermediate School in Chesapeake was one of the grand-prize winners of the recent Dannon® Yogurt Recipe Contest. Dannon Foodservice, Fuel Up to Play 60 and the National Dairy Council  co-sponsored the pilot contest to showcase the culinary skills of K-12 students as well as the versatility and nutritional benefits of yogurt. Each grand-prize school received Dannon and Fuel Up to Play 60-branded foodservice equipment valued at $4,000.
Click here to read more about the recipe contest.

Photo: The winning recipe from Crestwood Intermediate School in Chesapeake is Crestwood's Island Breakfast Bars.
Southeast Dairy Farmer Talks Tech at South by Southwest Conference
In March, Alabama dairy farmer Will Gilmer represented dairy farmers from the Southeast at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin, Texas. SXSW is an event that brings together people from around the globe to celebrate music, film and technology. DMI invited Gilmer and nine other dairy farmers from across the county to participate in the festival and talk to consumers about technology in the dairy field. Click here to read more about the event.

Photo: Alabama dairy farmer Will Gilmer participates in the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas.