NFL Charities Awards $2.2 Million to The Cooper Institute

NFL Charities have awarded a three-year, $2.2 million grant extension to The Cooper Institute.

The Cooper Institute is a nonprofit organization dedicated worldwide to preventive medicine research and education and the grant will continue NFL Charities' commitment to fund The Cooper Institute's NFL PLAY 60 FITNESSGRAM^® program, which reaches more than 22 million children in all 50 states.

"We're proud to collaborate with the NFL to find solutions to childhood obesity by tracking health-related fitness results and analyzing how to intervene." Kenneth H. Cooper, founder and chairman emeritus of The Cooper Institute, said. "I firmly believe that before we can make improvements to our health we need a good assessment of the situation. That's what FITNESSGRAM is designed to do."

The grant will support more than 1,100 schools across all NFL team markets taking part in a Cooper Institute-NFL PLAY 60 evaluation study.

FITNESSGRAM is a physical fitness assessment tool that not only measures student health-related fitness levels in schools but also provides reports to parents to further behavior change. It was developed in 1982 by The Cooper Institute.

Last week the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition announced the adoption of FITNESSGRAM as a key component of the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, a new school-based program that promotes health and regular physical activity for America's youth.

"We are proud to continue our partnership with The Cooper Institute as part of our NFL PLAY 60 campaign," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. "We are pleased to see the President's Council join in recognizing the important role that the FITNESSGRAM program can play in our children's health."

Last week, NFL Charities awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to support sports-related medical research at 15 organizations. Of these grants, more than $950,000 went to studying concussion prevention and treatment.

The grants included studies on stem cells and nervous system injuries; MRI methods after concussions; the effect of temperature on the severity of potential brain injuries; the implications of helmet, facemask and shoulder pad designs on airway and cardiovascular care; and a sleep apnea program focused on NFL players.