NFL grants bring inclusive playgrounds, CPR training to Kansas schools

Two rural Kansas schools have been awarded grants from the NFL and the American Heart Association to support student health and emergency readiness.

The AHA announced on Friday that Harper Elementary School will receive the NFL Play 60 Adaptive PE Equipment Grant, which provides funding for inclusive playground equipment and programs for children with special needs.

Oakley Elementary School will receive an interactive CPR training kit to teach students the basics of CPR and first aid.

Educators know what their students need to thrive, and this grant program is designed to help them get there by providing schools with health-focused and cardiac emergency readiness resources that might not otherwise be attainable,” Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, said in a news release.

NFL Play 60 is an initiative that encourages children to participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily to meet the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ guidelines.

According to the AHA, nearly 1 in 3 children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Among those children, 70% have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, while 39% have two or more.