SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Nov. 17, 2014 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Select high schools from across California have been crowned “Breakfast Champs” by the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), the creator of got milk?, with each school receiving a check for $3,000. Thousands of students participated in the friendly three-week competition during back-to-school season to see which campus, within their district, could increase breakfast consumption with milk in school compared to the same time period as the year before.  This year 69 California high schools (more than 131,806 students) stepped up to the challenge, increasing breakfast participation by up to 54% in their respective school. 

Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141117/159095

 The got milk? Breakfast Challenge winners are (listed by key markets):

• Bay Area: Gregori High School, Modesto – 22%
• Sacramento: Rosemont High School, Sacramento – 14%; Franklin High School, Stockton – 4%
• Fresno: Erma Duncan Polytechnical High School, Fresno – 7%; Buchanan High School, Clovis – 34%; West Central High School, Fresno – 39%
• Los Angeles: Saddleback High School, Santa Ana – 31%
• Riverside: Palm Desert High School, Palm Desert – 21%; Coachella Valley High School, Thermal – 45%; Rancho Mirage High School, Palm Springs – 54%
• San Diego: San Ysidro High School, San Diego – 43%; Rancho Buena Vista High School, Vista – 1.24%

“Good nutrition, starting with a healthy breakfast with milk, is an essential part of the preparation our kids need in order to succeed in school and boost them toward a better future,” said Steve James, Executive Director of the CMPB. “The Breakfast Challenge is a fun way to reward students for doing what every mom tells their teenager to do – eat your breakfast.”

Studies shown that eating breakfast helps students do better in mathematics and school overall. Breakfast also boosts vitamin intake, helping increase energy and focus.¹ To encourage daily breakfast consumption with milk at high school cafeterias the CMPB partnered with 15 school districts across the Golden State for the 7^th annual got milk? Breakfast Challenge. The campuses with the greatest breakfast participation with milk in each district won $3,000 towards student activities for a grand total of more than $40,000 statewide. 

This year got milk? also included an opportunity for California teens ages 13 to 18 to participate in the Breakfast Challenge via social media. Got milk? encouraged students to post pictures of their breakfast with milk either on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag the image using the hashtag #gotmilkinmybreakfast for a chance to win. Three winners securing the most likes for their photo on the Facebook contest page were selected. Grand Prize  winner Bailey Williams received $1,000 while runner-up winners Edgar Alejandre and Lizandra Pena each received a $200 gift card prize.

For more information on got milk? or to download easy breakfast recipes visit: www.gotmilk.com or follow got milk? via social media on Facebook @gotmilk, Twitter @gotmilk and Instagram @officialgotmilk.

About the CMPB

The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of got milk? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. Got milk? is a federally registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards since 1995. The CMPB’s Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline “Familia, Amor y Leche” (Family, Love and Milk). The TOMA LECHE (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, in order to better align the English and Spanish language work. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

¹ http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00425/full

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