Indus School Report
Minnesota Vikings mascot, VIKTOR, visited Indus School April 10 to present a 45-minute interactive program for students in preschool through eighth grade that “instructs students on the importance of eating healthfully and staying physically active,” according to the sponsoring organizations, Midwest Dairy Council and the Minnesota Vikings.
Indus School was one of 25 schools in the state of Minnesota who were awarded the free assembly because of activating the “Fuel Up to Play 60” wellness program in their school. To qualify, a school needs to complete several steps on a website dashboard and receives additional bonus points for submitting grants, as well as other incentives. According to Program Advisor and Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Lois Lewis, Indus received a $2,000 grant during the 2011-12 school year for “healthy initiatives” which included buying a refrigerator for the school store to be able to provide dairy products and fresh produce snacks for students. The grant was also used to support a “Family, Food and Fitness” night at the school, educational materials, taste tests, and the recent “Quadrathon” which encouraged more physical activity for students.
VIKTOR, who did not talk but had plenty of antics, interacted with members of the Minnesota Vikings through a “behind the scenes” video tour of Winter Park, home of the Vikings team. Various Vikings personnel, such as Paul Allen, radio announcer, and players Chad Greenway and Heath Farwell, as well as cheerleaders, spoke to the students about the importance of making nutrient-rich food choices and being active for 60 minutes each day.
Some students won prizes, such as a foam football, by answering questions on the material covered in the assembly. Maggie Morgan, whose sister, Emma, won one of the footballs, says that she enjoyed how the mascot “was running around ‘cause he was dancing around while we watched it” (the video). His engaging style added to the impact of the program. After the assembly, VIKTOR also visited some high school classrooms to exchange “high fives” with students and generally entertain.
