CHICAGO (March 17, 2015) – Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) and CSX today announced the call for applications for Every Kid Healthy Grants for the 2015-2016 school year. Nearly 300 grants will be awarded to schools to support increasing physical activity and promoting nutrition initiatives.

Every Kid Healthy Grants will range from $500 to $2,500 to provide funding for physical activity, including facilities and equipment for recess, playgrounds and play spaces, classroom energizers, physical education, and walking and running clubs. Grants may also be used to fund nutrition initiatives to help schools work towards healthy schools certification programs. The Every Kid Healthy Grants are part of $1.4 million in grants for school breakfast and physical activity to be awarded by AFHK in the 2015-2016 school year.

“Study after study shows that kids who get regular physical activity experience improvements not just in their fitness levels but in brain function and behavior – yet funding for physical education continues to decline in schools,” said Rob Bisceglie, CEO of Action for Healthy Kids. “The support we get from CSX recognizes the positive impact of physical activity on children’s health and preparedness to learn, and helps to fill a gap in the national resources provided to schools for wellness initiatives.”

For the 2014-2015 school year, CSX funded 287 AFHK grants to increase students’ physical activity time, improve attitudes and behaviors, and engage parents in supporting activity at school and at home. Schools currently in the Active Kids Campaign are reporting an average of 55 minutes of physical activity per day among more than 143,000 students. CSX also supports AFHK’s advancement of physical activity and nutrition initiatives in an additional 5,000 schools around the country, and hosts “Get in the Action” service events throughout the year where CSX employees volunteer at select schools to improve physical activity environments.

“Our partnership with Action for Healthy Kids has enabled us to share CSX’s focus on health and wellness with kids and families in the communities where we work and live, while also involving CSX employees along the way,” explained Tori Kaplan, Assistant Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility. “We are proud to support physical activity programs that help students be better prepared to learn and succeed in and out of the classroom, and create a healthy generation of employees, customers and neighbors for tomorrow.”

Interested schools are encouraged to apply online at www.actionforhealthykids.org/grants through May 1, 2015. To be eligible, schools must be located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia or Washington, D.C.

An optional introductory webinar on the Every Kid Healthy Grants will be hosted by AFHK on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 from 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. Central Time. Registration is available online.

About Action for Healthy Kids®
Action for Healthy Kids® is a nationwide grassroots network that supports school-based healthy eating and physical activity improvements that increase academic success. With funding opportunities, expert technical assistance and our flagship program, Game On, we mobilize schools, administrators and parents to develop healthy school environments for children. To learn more about the ways our 85,000+ volunteer network is helping to make Every Kid Healthy™, visit us at www.ActionforHealthyKids.org, on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/act4healthykids) and on Twitter (https://twitter.com/Act4HlthyKids).

About CSX
CSX, based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a premier transportation company. It provides rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services and solutions to customers across a broad array of markets, including energy, industrial, construction, agricultural, and consumer products. For nearly 190 years, CSX has played a critical role in the nation’s economic expansion and industrial development. Its network connects every major metropolitan area in the eastern United States, where nearly two-thirds of the nation’s population resides. It also links more than 240 short-line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major population centers and farming towns alike. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX).