New York—New Jersey Nets center Josh Boone greeted five-dozen elementary school students at the unveiling of a refurbished basketball court at P.S. 96 in Harlem Wednesday.
The Nets and the American Dairy Association teamed up to provide the new court through their "Get Net Fit" program. Sixty fourth graders wearing white t-shirts bearing the program's name and logo filed out the back of their school to find one of their basketball courts covered with a fresh coat of blue paint and a set of brand new backboards.
The freshened-up basketball court was splashed with Nets logos and "3-A-Day" logos that reminded the children to have three servings a day of dairy by eating milk, cheese, and yogurt.
The American Dairy Association, Harlem Healthy Living, and the Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce have ramped up their efforts for better nutrition beginning in March, which was National Nutrition Month, into June, which is Dairy Month. Various camps and clinics stress the importance of staying healthy through a nutritious diet and exercise.
P.S. 96 was one of two Harlem schools that were rewarded with makeovers after a random drawing of schools that not only needed new athletic facilities but also had high participation rates in the 3-A-Day challenge.
Brenda Beltram, communications director for the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, said of the challenge, "We target New York City and New Jersey Schools to promote calcium-rich foods. We issue tracking forms to the schools so that kids can track and record their daily dairy intake, and those that do so can get Nets tickets and trading cards."
The select fourth graders enjoyed the presence of a rising NBA star, who was accompanied by Sly, the Nets mascot and Jeff Scott, the manager of community relations with the Nets. Scott rallied the kids into a frenzy by stretching, doing jumping jacks, and performing other exercises with them. For their workout, the kids were treated to a host of activities that included shooting mini-basketballs into hoops, having their picture taken and digitally altered to include a "milk mustache," and meeting Josh Boone.
Even though Boone has participated in many of these kinds of events that promote healthy living for children, he admitted himself that his own diet wasn't the best. "I can't cook," he said with a laugh and added, "It's tough, but I'll always have my mother to cook for me." When asked what his favorite dairy food was, he declared, "I love milk, especially chocolate milk. But my absolute favorite is chocolate peanut butter ice cream."
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