From ME DOE

AUGUSTA – Governor Janet Mills and fitness icon Jake (Body by Jake) Stein­feld, Chairman of the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils (NFGFC), announced at the end of May that three Maine schools have won a state-of-the-art $100,000 DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center.

The multi-million dollar DON’T QUIT! Campaign has selected Gorham Middle School in Gorham, Deer Isle-Ston­ington Elementary School in Deer Isle, and SeDoMoCha School in Dover-Foxcroft for new fitness centers in recognition of their commitment to the health of their students, according to the Maine Department of Ed­ucation.

“The last year has proven just how important investing in the health of our students is to keeping our state strong,” Mills said. “I congratulate these deserv­ing schools on being selected to receive a state of the art fitness center and I thank them for their commitment to the health and well-being of Maine children. These centers would not be possible without the generosity of the National Foundation for Governors’ Fitness Councils and Mr. Stein­feld and I thank them for their investment in the children of Maine.”

“We had an overwhelming response from elementary and middle schools throughout the great state of Maine. None of this would have been possible with­out the incredible support of Governor Mills, who helped make this campaign a huge success by putting the health and well-being of children first,” said Stein­feld. “Three schools really embodied our mission of building a nation of the fittest, healthiest kids in the world. I’m thrilled to announce that Deer Isle-Stonington El­ementary School, Gorham Middle School and SeDoMoCha School are all being awarded a brand new $100,000 DON’T QUIT! Fitness Center. Congratulations to all, we look forward to visiting these three schools during our ribbon cutting ceremo­nies this fall!”

Each fitness center is financed through public/private partnerships with companies like The Coca-Cola Company, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foun­dation, Wheels Up, and Nike, and does not rely on taxpayer dollars or state funding.

Fitness in Motion provides all the fitness equipment, which is manufactured in the United States. The foundation’s goal is to build a nation of the fittest, healthiest kids in the world.

These state-of-the-art DON’T QUIT! Fitness Centers will be unveiled during rib­bon cutting ceremonies this fall. This year, the NFGFC program will have completed 40 states and will make its way into all 50 states in the coming years.

For more information about the Na­tional Foundation, visit www.natgovfit.org.