“Childhood obesity is a very serious issue that endangers the long-term health and welfare of our nation’s youngsters,” said Vilsack. “To reverse this dangerous trend and give our kids the opportunity to eat smarter, exercise more and lessen their risk of disease, both the public and private sectors will have to work together to marshal their combined expertise and resources.”

Vilsack met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Thomas Gallagher, chief executive of Dairy Management, Inc., which runs the National Dairy Research and Promotion Program. The NFL and DMI are launching Fuel Up to Play 60, an innovative nutrition and fitness program based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, in some 60,000 schools this fall. The social marketing program empowers students to assume leadership in being more active and eating more healthy foods.

The campaign will inspire kids to “fuel up” with the nutrient-rich foods they often lack-fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low- or no-fat dairy products-and “get up and play” with 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Student teams will evaluate their school’s “wellness” and choose the healthy eating and physical activity programs on which the school will focus.

At the meeting, Secretary Vilsack discussed a plan to develop a Memorandum of Understanding between USDA, the NFL and DMI to allow USDA programs and Fuel Up to Play 60 to collaborate and collectively tackle the critical issue of children’s health.

“USDA is excited to bring this partnership the experience and resources of our successful school-based health education efforts like Team Nutrition schools and the HealthierUS School Challenge,” Vilsack said.

“NFL is a proud partner of Fuel Up to Play 60. It is an important component of our overall NFL Play 60 campaign,” says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “Our goal is to raise awareness about the importance of staying fit and eating right, especially for America’s young people. This partnership is a powerful alliance linking the USDA, National Dairy Council and the NFL to address childhood obesity and emphasize the role of daily physical activity in a healthy lifestyle.”

“National Dairy Council is honored to work together with USDA and the NFL on Fuel Up to Play 60,” said Thomas P. Gallagher, chief executive officer of Dairy Management Inc., the managing organization for National Dairy Council. “Child nutrition, particularly in schools, has been a cornerstone of National Dairy Council for nearly a century. This program centers on youth taking the lead in changing the school environment through increasing opportunities for eating healthier and getting more physical activity.” USDA manages 15 nutrition programs, which touch the lives of one in five Americans each year. And across the country, USDA designated ‘Team Nutrition’ schools have worked to forge the link between classroom nutrition activities and healthy meals served in the cafeteria.

USDA’s HealthierUS School Challenge recognizes ‘Team Nutrition’ schools that are creating healthier school environments through their promotion of good nutrition and physical activity. USDA is also the one of the lead agencies along with the Department of Health and Human Services, working to develop the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the nation’s official dietary advice.

“The committee had several great bids to consider,” Marie Robbins, chairwoman of the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee, said in the release. “Our focus was on continuing the growth that the volleyball championship has experienced over the last four years. We felt Louisville demonstrated a level of commitment to this championship that will not only translate into a great student-athlete experience, but also a continuation of the championship’s recent growth.”

“We are honored that the Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee put this very important NCAA Championship in our hands in 2012,” U of L athletic director Tom Jurich said in the release. “It gives us an opportunity to showcase the city of Louisville and our intense love of this sport.”

Louisville Arena Authority Chairman Jim Host added that it also gives the university and the city the opportunity to show that they are capable of holding large-scale athletic tournaments, which could be a large economic boon to the community.

There are dozens of restaurants, bars and retail shops, and more than 4,300 hotel rooms within walking distance to the arena.

“The Division I National Women’s Volleyball Championship is exactly the type of sporting event this arena is being built to host,” Host said.

Louisville’s new 22,000 seat downtown arena is currently being constructed on a riverfront site, which has been selected for its esthetics and central location. The NBA-caliber facility will be home of the nationally-ranked University of Louisville men’s and women’s basketball teams, and will host premier concerts and entertainment events. Featuring more than 100 luxury and junior suites, 10 lounge and restaurant areas, interactive technology, wireless integrations and eco-friendly design elements, the state of the art structure will rival any modern arena.

Despite the challenging economic climate, Team Services created a unique partnership that will deliver valuable marketing solutions and quantifiable return on investment (ROI) for Norton. The Cornerstone agreement will provide community exposure, the opportunity to educate the public about critical health care issues, and the ability to drive incremental revenue. As part of the $10 million partnership, Norton will receive naming rights to the outdoor plaza at the arena entrance, extensive signage in both the Arena and the University of Louisville football stadium, and perhaps most significantly, a retail location for a Norton Immediate Care Center in the arena.

“This is an unprecedented partnership, no where else are partners integrating health care services and education into a mixed-use facility at this significant of a level,” said Team Services Principal E.J. Narcise. “It is truly a “win-win” relationship on many levels, Norton will receive a tremendous platform to market its services and promote health care education, while also supporting the community and this pivotal civic project. Additionally, the surrounding areas will benefit from superior health care availability and Norton will have the opportunity to directly increase revenue.”

The 1,607 sq ft Immediate Care Center will enable Norton to provide convenient access to medical care for tens of thousands of downtown workers. By integrating an Immediate Care Center into the heart of downtown Louisville, prominently placed in front of an estimated one million annual arena patrons, Norton will not only enhance its ability to provide top-quality care to the public, but also create new revenue streams in these challenging times.

Just as significant as the revenue-generating aspect of the partnership was an essential provision Team Services included, which would allow Norton to continue its mission of public health education. Team Services and the LAA have created exclusive access and facility usage allotments, which Norton expects to utilize for Childhood Fitness and Nutrition education or Early Detection and Disease Prevention events.

“An important part of Norton Healthcare’s not-for-profit mission is to expand our services to meet important community health care needs in underserved areas,” said Stephen A. Williams, president & CEO of Norton Healthcare. “We will provide convenient access to urgent care services for people who live downtown and for those visiting our community for conventions, games and shows&We view this as a $10 million investment in our community.”

The Norton Healthcare agreement has set the bar well beyond what skeptics felt arena partnerships could be sold for in this environment. Team Services and LASEP expect to announce additional Cornerstone Partners, at a comparable level, in the coming weeks. In total, LASEP plans to have four to eight Cornerstone Partners in place for the Arena’s scheduled opening in 2010.

More than 150,000 attendees will visit the Experience in celebration of Super Bowl XLIII, adjacent to Raymond James Stadium. Announced earlier during the season, Team Services delivered a five year sponsorship renewal with the National Football League (NFL) and its longtime client, Dairy Management, Inc (DMI) through the 2013 NFL season, making the National Dairy Council an official Youth Marketing Partner of the NFL.

In addition to the partnership renewal which include an annual Associate Sponsorship of the NFL Experience, Team Services negotiated approximately 30 NFL club marketing sponsorships for DMI and its regional dairy promotional associations for the 2008 NFL season, including partnerships with the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals and the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Hines Wards and Arizona Cardinals Kicker Neil Rackers, both longtime endorsers for DMI, have been featured in local promotions. A premier part of DMI’s onsite activation for this year’s NFL Experience includes offering youth free commemorative photos with their favorite football players, product sampling and kids clinic taught daily by NFL players.