Gov. Beshear, Fitness Icon Jake Steinfeld Announce Winners of School Fitness Centers

FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 18, 2020) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear and Jake Steinfeld, chairman of the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils, announced the three Kentucky schools that were selected to each receive a state-of-the-art $100,000 DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center.

The multimillion-dollar DON’T QUIT! campaign has named Stuart Academy/Frost Sixth-Grade Academy in Louisville (Jefferson County Public Schools), Hiseville Elementary School in Hiseville (Barren County School District) and Wurtland Middle School in Wurtland (Greenup County School District) as the state’s most outstanding schools for demonstrating leadership in getting and keeping their students fit.

“Every child deserves the support and resources they need to stay healthy,” said Gov. Beshear. “As parents of two young children, Britainy and I know that physical activity improves kids’ mental health and confidence, too – something that’s more important than ever as we all face so much uncertainty during this pandemic. Congratulations to these three schools, which will each receive a new fitness center, and thank you to Jake Steinfeld and the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils (NFGFC) for making this possible.”

“This has been an extraordinary year. Even though COVID-19 impacted the school year, our DON’T QUIT! campaign received an overwhelming response from schools around the great state of Kentucky.  We had many exceptional entries this year, but three schools really embodied our mission of building a nation of the fittest, healthiest kids in the world,” said Steinfeld. “Because of the exceptional students and staff who are excited to make fitness a daily part of their lives, the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils is awarding Stuart Academy/Frost Sixth-Grade Academy, Hiseville Elementary School and Wurtland Middle School with new fitness centers that will have a lasting impact on kids and their communities now, and well into their future. Congratulations to these three schools and to every school that participated in the campaign. We look forward to our DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center ribbon cutting ceremonies later in the year.”

This year the NFGFC program will have completed 36 states and will make its way into all 50 states in the coming years. Each fitness center is financed through a public/private partnership with companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Anthem Foundation, Wheels Up and Nike, and does not rely on taxpayer dollars or state funding. TuffStuff Fitness International provides all the fitness equipment, which is manufactured in the United States.

These state-of-the-art DON’T QUIT! Fitness Centers will be unveiled during ribbon-cutting ceremonies this fall.

For more information about the National Foundation, visit www.natgovfit.org


About The National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils
The National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils (NFGFC) seeks to encourage and reward innovation in the field of youth fitness by awarding fitness centers to schools that use new and unique methods to promote student physical activity and wellness. The NFGFC envisions a fitness center in every school in the U.S., helping to build a nation that—through innovation and a “DON’T QUIT!” attitude—boasts the fittest kids in the world. Since 2012, the NFGFC has delivered fitness centers in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., Georgia, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, California, New Mexico, Connecticut, Virginia, Illinois, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Ohio, Washington, Wisconsin, Arizona, Maryland, Louisiana, Oregon, Colorado, Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Rhode Island, Missouri, Michigan and Minnesota.  In 2020, we are gifting fitness centers to four more states including Kentucky, Oklahoma, Alabama and Indiana.

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