Local

Panthers, United Way give local elementary school $1,500 fitness grant

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Tuesday morning, the Carolina Panthers teamed up with the United Way of the Central Carolinas for the NFL's annual Hometown Huddle program.

Billingsville Elementary School was treated to a high-energy morning with fun activity stations designed to get students involved and moving.

The Panthers and the United Way also presented the elementary school with a $1,500 fitness grant.

The program is an NFL partnership program with United Way. The overall goal of the program is to support the NFL's "Play 60" youth fitness initiative that encourages children to get 60 minutes of daily physical activity.

On Tuesday, roughly 450 students participated in the Panthers-led program.

The United Way and NFL partnership is now in its 40th year and connects NFL "Play 60" with United Way Worldwide's 2018 goal to get 1.9 million young people healthy and active.

Since the NFL "Play 60" program was launched in 2007, the NFL has committed more than $250 million to youth health and fitness through programming grants.

The NFL and its teams have built more than 125 NFL Youth Fitness Zones, organized more than 1,500 "Play 60" youth events and integrated programs into more than 77,000 schools nationwide since the campaign began.