Beulah Elementary Is Fitastic, Wins $1,000

On your mark, get set, go! More than 350 students at Beulah Elementary School competed in the pursuit of becoming the Third Annual Fitastic Challenge Field Day Champion on Tuesday.

The Fitastic Challenge Field Day is the culmination of a six-week, Third Annual Fitastic Elementary School Challenge, which encourages local elementary school students to become physically and mentally fit by eating right, exercising and learning how to end bullying behavior. Sponsored by Atlanta-area McDonald’s, Fitastic Challenge Field Day will feature “Egg McMuffin Relays” and other competitions inspired by the restaurants’ nutritionally-balanced menu items. 11Alive news anchor DeMarco Morgan served as event’s master of ceremonies.

“We are proud to support the McDonald’s Fitastic Elementary School Challenge for the third consecutive year,” said Keith Lollis, Atlanta-area McDonald’s Owner/Operator in a press release. “Today’s families lead busy, demanding lives and McDonald’s nutritionally-balanced menu options offer a simple way to help them achieve a balanced lifestyle.”

To compete in the Third Annual McDonald’s Fitastic Elementary School Challenge, first through fifth grade students across metro Atlanta received a Fitastic Challenge Card to record the quality choices they made in their daily activities. Reflective of the Fitastic Challenge pillars, the Challenge Cards encouraged students to select nutritionally-balanced menu items at their local McDonald’s, participate in physical activity and use the bullying “CALM” method (Cool down, Assert yourself, Look them in the eye, Mean what you say). Students recorded their activities and schools tallied the results to determine the winner.

Beulah Elementary School completed the highest percentage of fitness-focused activities in six weeks and will be rewarded with McDonald’s Fitastic Elementary School Challenge Field Day. The competition will feature teams of students as they participate in the day’s activities, which will also include tire relays, hula hooping, hippity hop races, soccer dribble and sack races. The day will culminate with a Ronald McDonald Show, where Ronald will highlight the benefits of good nutrition and lead students in a variety of fitness activities. At the end of the assembly, students will be awarded team ribbons and the Fitastic Challenge Trophy winner will be announced.

More than 35,000 students at 55 schools across metro Atlanta were invited to compete to win the Fitastic Field Day, a visit from Ronald McDonald and a cash reward of $1,000. Participating schools were also eligible to win up to $1,000 in grant money, along with prizes to help with school improvement projects, equipment and materials.

“We are proud of all 35,000 McDonald’s Fitastic Elementary School Challenge participants across metro Atlanta,” said Melaine Williams, president, P.E.A.C.H Communications, Fitastic Challenge partner. “Partners like Atlanta area McDonald’s are essential to providing parents and students with the education and tools necessary for their families to live a balanced lifestyle. Together we are able to ensure that the students feel good about themselves so they can lead a "Fitastic" life from the inside out!”