FEATURED

SPONSOR

Thursday, 8 July, 2010 3:25 PM

'Milk the Moment Tour' makes a pair of stops at the Detroit Zoo

ROYAL OAK, Mich. -- Three "Milk the Moment Tour" caravans are currently touring the country right now -- one in the midwest, one on in the west coast and the other on the east coast. The midwest caravan visited the Detroit Zoo for two free events on July 6 and 7. Attendees were encouraged to sit down for dinner together as a family and drink milk instead of sugary sodas or sports drinks.

Three out of every four American's aren't getting enough calcium, according to the Got milk? campaign. Milk provided nine essential nutrients that your body needs each day. It is one of the most cheapest drinks to buy at only 25 cents per glass.

"We're encouraging moms and families to get back to the basics and serve milk at dinnertime," said Jenny Ferm, on behalf of the Milk the Moment Tour. "If you think about it, the price you pay to buy another sports drink beverage is going to be triple that. It's really cheap to buy a gallon of milk and have 25 cents. To me, you can't afford to not drink milk because of the benefits that it has. It's so naturally nutrient rich like no other beverage."

Attendees were able to sample milk from four local dairies: Bareman, Country Fresh, Prarie Frms and Kroger. They could also get their photo taken with a milk mustache, just like how celebrities do. A registered dietician was on hand to speak about the benefits of milk, staying healthy and how it helps to relieve stress.

Kids had the opportunity to play a football toss activity for the NFL's Fuel Up to Play 60 partnership. The program encourages children to get active for 60 minutes a day to tackle childhood obesity. More than 60,000 of the nation's 96,000 private and public schools are enrolled in the program.

"I think it's good they're trying to tell people to drink milk because it's good for you," said Madisen Hamel of Frankfort, Ky., who was on vacation while visiting the Milk the Moment Tour. "I drink milk like three times a day. I like milk. I look at everything that's saying Got milk? I see that it really does help when you drink milk."

Attendees were also able to register to win a trip for four to San Francisco for a family dinner with chef Tyler Florence, who is a new Milk Mustache celebrity.

The Detroit Lions' Kyle Vanden Bosch was on hand to sign autographs, pose for photos and interact with attendees on July 6 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. He was recently signed to a four-year $26 million deal with the Lions as a defensive end.

"It's a program being put on the NFL, it's a combination of things: Play 60 program which encourages kids to get out and be active for 60 minutes a day," Bosch said. "Whether its just be playing, going outside flying a kite, just doing something to be active for 60 minutes. Also, it's a partnership with the National Dairy Council encouraging kids to eat the right foods get their dairy and how important it is to get the proper nutrition."

In terms of the 2010 Detroit Lions season, he said: "I've been in the NFL now, this will be my 10th season. I felt like it was a good opportunity for me to get to a new city, help an organization get things turned around. It seemed like the right fit for me and the right fit for the Lions. It's been great so far. I think we're going to surprise a lot of people this year. I'm excited about the season."

If you weren't able to make it to one of the Detroit Zoo stops, the "Milk the Moment Tour" continues through September. Click here to find out when the caravan will be stopping in your area.

"It's good for everybody, it's healthy, it's active," said Bray James of Detroit. "I normally drink milk with my cereal. I look forward to drinking more milk because it's healthy for my body. I get my vitamins and it helps me."

For more information on Milk the Moment Tour, visit www.whymilk.com/milk_tour.php.