The Falcons First Down for Fitness Program, in its sixth year, is a three month program designed to challenge third through seventh grade students in the state of Georgia to participate in fitness activities, eat healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle. The program incorporates components of the NFL’s Play 60 program, the American Heart Association and the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association’s (SUDIA) Fuel Up to Play 60 nutrition program.

The winners are:

The winners were selected from 191 teachers in the Falcons First Down for Fitness program for their commitment and dedication to finding unique ways to ensure their students engage in physical activity for 60 minutes, five days a week and maintain healthy eating habits. Each winner will receive a $1,000 fitness equipment grant and work with Good Sports to select their items.

“Ensuring that kids get physical activity every day is crucial to their healthy physical and emotional development,” Good Sports CEO Melissa Harper said. “Good Sports is proud to partner with the Atlanta Falcons to equip these amazing teachers with the gear they need to make that possible.”

The top three schools that collected the most pounds of food in the 2011 FalCan Food Drive School Challenge are:

In first place, Chapman Intermediate School in Woodstock, Ga., collected 10,045 lbs. The school will receive 60 tickets to the Sunday, November 20 game against the Tennessee Titans as well as participate in Falcons Fitness Flag Crew, which consists spending the day with members of the field crew beginning with an aerobic warm up led by Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders, an on-field rehearsal, lunch and culminating with unfurling the giant Falcons flag on the field before the game.

In second place, Berkmar Middle School in Lilburn, Ga., collected 3,660 lbs. The school will receive 50 tickets to the Sunday, November 20 game, as well as a special visit with Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders, Freddie Falcon and snack provided by Publix.

Finally, in third place, International Academy of Smyrna in Smyrna, Ga., collected 2,744 lbs. The school will receive 25 tickets to the Sunday, November 20 game.

For a full list of participating schools, please visit, http://www.atlantafalcons.com/falcanfooddrive.

This grant opportunity is open to any youth football organization and/or or high school football team in the state of Georgia with 501(c) 3 non-profit status. League Administrators, Coaches, Athletic Directors and/or School Administrators are eligible to apply for the grant.

To submit your application and find out other details please visit: http://www.atlantafalcons.com/youthfootballgrants/

IMPORTANT: You must provide a copy of your organization’s 501(c) 3 status to ATTN: Liz Serpico at fax: 770-965-3185 or email: lserpico@falcons.nfl.com by 5 p.m. November 18. Your application will be incomplete without this information.

Dylan Callicotte – Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia
For the past seven years, Dylan Callicotte has volunteered his time to the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia as well as serving as a camp counselor at the annual Epilepsy Summer Camp. He attends the camp with his younger brother, Ian, who has multiple disabilities, including epilepsy. Additionally, Calicoes has served as a spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia and has presented at the Taste of Love. He attends Collins Hill High School where he serves as a mentor and math tutor. Callicotte is also an accomplished violinist.

The Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia provides education, advocacy and service for people affected by seizures. Through its community involvement with employers, teachers, healthcare professionals and individuals with epilepsy and their families, the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia is active in a broad range of programs.

James Hamm – Special Populations Tennis Program, Inc.
In 2005, James Hamm created the Special Populations Tennis Program, Inc., to offer special needs athletes the opportunity to learn the game of tennis. Hamm spends time each week teaching tennis one-on-one to students with autism or developmental delays at Heart of Hope Academy. Special Populations Tennis Programs, Inc. hosts 17 training locations in metro Atlanta and serves over 550 athletes, many who have competed in the Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games. Hamm was Head Tennis Coach of Team USA for the Special Olympics 2011 World Summer Games in Athens, Greece in July 2010. His work with Special Populations Tennis Progam, Inc., both as a hands-on volunteer and as a leader, has provided children and adults with intellectual disabilities with a year-round organized outlet for engaging in a lifetime sport.

Special Populations Tennis Program, Inc. is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization that offers an adaptive tennis program specifically designed to share the lifetime sport of tennis with children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Programs offered free of charge to all skill levels, including those who have never played, include year-round tennis instruction, league play and tournament competition.

Randall Hughes – Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc.
Randall Hughes began volunteering as a Saturday lawyer over 40 years ago with with the Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. Hughes also served on the Advisory Board, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee before becoming Board President in 1996. In 2007, Hughes began spending one day a week volunteering with the Senior Hotline, a statewide service for senior citizens with legal questions/problems. Hughes soon added another duty to his volunteer job, working with the Health Law Partnership (HeLP), a collaborative among Atlanta Legal Aid, Children’s Healthcare and Georgia State Law School. In addition, Hughes has taken on a third volunteer assignment addressing the legal issues faced by people with AIDS and cancer.

The Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Inc. provides civil legal services to low-income people residing in metropolitan Atlanta’s five counties, focusing on five core areas of practice: family law, housing, healthcare, government benefits and consumer finance. Ten additional programs address special issues ranging from the rights of physically or mentally disabled persons to nursing home oversight.

Kirk Posmantur – After-School All-Stars
Kirk Posmantur has volunteered with the After-School All-Stars for more than a decade, serving as the Board Chair. Since 1999, Posmantur has worked tirelessly to creatively establish After-School All-Stars as the model program for middle school children. Posmantur has been instrumental in the expansion of the After-School All-Stars program by providing unwavering support, perseverance, and dedication to systematic growth and development.

After-School All-Stars in Atlanta provides comprehensive out-of-school programs that are fun for kids and also keep them safe and help them achieve success in school and life. This program improves kids’ lives by nurturing their minds, bodies and spirits through programs that incorporate independent learning, academics and enrichment activities. After-School All-Stars now has 14 sites focusing primarily on urban Atlanta middle schools with over 2,500 children participating daily.

The Youth Football Team of the Week and Cheer Squad of the Week programs recognize youth football teams and cheer squads around the State of Georgia. One team and one squad will be selected weekly beginning early September through mid-November. In addition to being recognized on atlantafalcons.com/community, each of the 10 selected teams and 10 selected squads will receive a grant in the amount of $500 to support their respective organizations. Each winning team and squad will also receive up to 30 t-shirts for their team members. Nominations are now open at www.atlantafalcons.com/youthteam and www.atlantafalcons.com/cheersquad and you must be a youth football league administrator, football and/or cheerleading coach, parent and/or community member.

The Captain in the Community presented by Russell Athletic recognizes outstanding varsity high school football student-athletes around the State of Georgia that demonstrate strong leadership skills both on and off the field. Ten winners will be selected and their school will receive a $1,000 grant in the student-athlete’s name to support future community initiatives. In addition, each winner will receive a plaque. Nominations are now open at www.atlantafalcons.com/captaininthecommunity and will only be accepted from high school football coaches, athletic directors, principals, teachers, community organizations or local media.

The program incorporates components of the NFL’s Play 60 initiative, the American Heart Association and Fuel Up to Play nutrition program available through the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association (SUDIA).

The 2011 program incentives include a signed certificate for all students that complete the program, Atlanta Falcons memorabilia for registered teachers and physical fitness equipment for participating schools. Participating classrooms/schools also have the chance to receive: a school visit from Atlanta Falcons players and cheerleaders, a school visit from the Fuel Up to Play 60 program through SUDIA when you register your school in the Fuel Up to Play 60 program, a chance to receive a visit from Freddie Falcon and learn more about his P.L.A.Y. Book for Fitness Program, a chance to receive tickets to a 2011 Falcons home game, a chance to be a part of the Falcons Fitness Flag Crew at a 2011 Falcons home game and a Play 60 Challenge teacher guide and student game planners. Each week during the program, students can visit www.atlantafalcons.com/firstdownforfitness to view special fitness and nutrition tips from their favorite Falcons players and cheerleaders.

In addition, the Falcons will again be recognizing five registered teachers as the 2011-2012 First Down for Fitness Teachers of the Year. Teachers will be able to nominate themselves or be nominated by an administrator, fellow teacher, student or parent and recipients will be selected based on their dedication and innovative approach to the program. Each Teacher of the Year will receive a $1,000 grant to purchase physical fitness equipment for their school.

Third through seventh grade teachers in the state of Georgia are eligible and may register their classrooms by visiting www.atlantafalcons.com/firstdownforfitness. The registration period ends August 19th and is only open to the first 150 teachers who successfully register.

The two organizations teamed up to provide children at the Greenforest Summer Enrichment Camp in Decatur, Ga., with an Atlanta Falcons Gatorade Junior Training Camp. This is a free program geared towards rising third through rising sixth graders and stresses the importance of proper football technique, promotes physical activity and proper hydration.

This one-day traveling camp can host up to 150 children and takes them through multiple football stations. These camps are not open to the public, but rather are intended for children involved with each of the organizations.

The camp benefited a charity of choice for Sonja Harrison. Harrison was honored at the inaugural Atlanta Falcons Community Honors Dinner in December. The Allstate Community All-Stars program honored four metro Atlanta Allstate Insurance agents who demonstrated a commitment to giving back to their local community as a natural extension of what they do every day, protecting people and helping put their lives back together.

The Allstate Community All-Stars embody the core values of both Allstate and the Atlanta Falcons social responsibility to provide leadership for a better, stronger society and to invest time and financial resources for worthy causes of all kind. Harrison’s charity of choice, Leaders of Tomorrow, provided several volunteers who assisted the children at the various stations and coached them through the different drills.

The camp was attended also by Freddie Falcon along with several Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders.

The clinic was attended by youth football coaches from all levels. The coaches learned different techniques, fundamentals, schemes and practice structure based on the age group they coach.

The clinic was led by Rick Peacock, USA Football’s southeast regional manager, who was joined by some of the top youth and high school coaches in the area.

“These clinics are a great tool to provide information to coaches,” Peacock said. “The coaches who are in attendance today want to become better coaches or they would not be here. Our goal is to provide them with a bunch of information so they can take it back to their leagues and teach children proper fundamentals and techniques.”

Falcons defensive line coach Ray Hamilton (pictured above) served as the keynote speaker for the event.

Hamilton spoke about his playing and coaching career. He also spoke at length about the impact a youth football coach has in growing the game of football

“Football should be fun,” Hamilton told the coaches. “Having a kid do 500 up-downs is not fun. Making the game fun is key to growing the sport of football. … Teaching fundamentals is what should be at the forefront of your mind every time you step on the practice field with your kids. This is something, on the NFL level, that I am still doing every day with our guys.”

Hamilton was very-well received by the youth coaches. Several of the coaches peppered Hamilton with questions about coaching techniques and stories about his playing days.

USA Football will return to Lassiter High School the week of June 20-23 for its annual USA Football Player Academy.

USA Football Player Academies teach football fundamentals and good football habits. Modeled after an NFL training camp with modified contact, for 3-and-a-half days, Academies use age and position specific instruction for players ages 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13-14. To register, please visit usafootball.com.

Cost to attend the 2011 Coaching School is $25 and includes lunch and a gift bag. Registration can be completed online by clicking here, or to download a registration form click here.

• See all Falcons-USA Football events and programs

This free event is open to youth football association presidents, directors and/or board members throughout the State of Georgia.

The forum gives an opportunity for associations to represent their league and participate in round table discussions with other youth football leaders from throughout the State of Georgia. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet many of their peers, share ideas and discuss important topics related to youth football.

Attendees will also have the ability to learn more about USA Football resources and the Atlanta Falcons youth football initiatives. In addition, the creation of the Georgia Youth Football State Association will be discussed.

Dr. Julie Haarbauer-Krupa from the Brain and Spinal Trust Commission will be in attendance to provide an update on concussion legislation/issues in Georgia.

Please make plans to join us for this unique gathering of youth football leaders. If you are unavailable on that date, please consider sending another league board member or director on your behalf. You can register online at http://www.usafootball.com/state_forum. You must register to attend. Food and gift bags will be provided.

We will again be selecting an individual to send to this year’s NFL Leadership summit in Canton, Ohio. This all-expense-paid trip will take place in the middle of July at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You must be present to be eligible.

If you have any questions, please contact Rick Peacock, the Southeast Regional Manager for USA Football, at rpeacock@usafootball.com or by calling (443) 995-7469.

This grant opportunity is open to any youth football organization and/or or high school football team in the State of  Georgia with 501(c)3 non-profit status.  League administrators, coaches, athletic directors and/or school administrators are eligible to apply for the grant. Grant recipients will be notified in mid-December.

To apply today, visit www.atlantafalcons.com/youthfootballgrants

Prior to the Falcons vs. Buccaneers game Sunday, fans are encouraged to bring canned goods, non-perishable food items and/or make monetary donations to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Donation barrels will be positioned at each gate of the Georgia Dome, as well as Falcons Landing.

New this year, the Atlanta Falcons hosted the FalCan Food Drive School Challenge. With approximately 40 schools participating, the Falcons are pleased to announce that, headed into the game, nearly 42,000 pounds of food items have been collected.

The items most needed by the Atlanta Community Food Bank include:

• Peanut butter
• Canned tuna
• Canned beans
• Canned soups, stews and pastas
• 100 percent fruit juice
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Macaroni and cheese dinners
• Whole grain, low sugar cereals

Founded in 1979, the Atlanta Community Food Bank currently distributes nearly two million pounds of food and other donated grocery items each month to more than 700 nonprofit partner agencies in 38 counties in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. 22.3 percent of Georgia’s children live in poverty and nearly 1.6 million Georgians are living in poverty.

A total of 40 schools participated in the FalCan Food Drive School Challenge by collecting canned food/and or non-perishable items between Oct. 4-18 for the chance to win exciting Falcons prizes. All participating schools received a special group ticket offer to the Nov. 7 game.

The Atlanta Falcons are pleased to announce that the 2010 FalCan Food Drive School Challenge collected 41,628 pounds of canned goods and non-perishable food items.

In first place, Chapman Intermediate School in Woodstock, Ga., collected 8,890 lbs. The school will receive 60 tickets to the Nov. 7 game, where students will participate in the Falcons Fitness Flag Crew, which consists of unfurling the Atlanta Falcons flag on-field during player introductions.

Participants of the Falcons Fitness Flag Crew spend the day with members of the field crew beginning with an aerobic warmup led by some of the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders, an on-field rehearsal, lunch with the group, the opportunity to visit Falcons Landing and culminating with unfurling the giant Falcons flag on the field before the game.

In second place, Little River Elementary School in Woodstock, Ga., collected 4,359 lbs. The school will receive 50 tickets to the Nov. 7 game, as well as a special visit with Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders, Freddie Falcon and snack provided by Publix.

In third place, Liberty Elementary School in Canton, GA collected 2,852 lbs. The school will receive 25 tickets to the Nov. 7 game.

For a full list of participating schools, please visit, http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010-falcan-food-drive

The 2010 FalCan Food Drive will take place prior to the Nov. 7 game. Fans are encouraged to donate canned goods, non-perishable food items and/or make a monetary donation to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s mission to be a resource for underserved communities.

The Community All-Star for October is cornerback Christopher Owens. Owens has shown a tremendous commitment throughout his career to giving back to the community.

During October, he participated in a community activity each Tuesday. Owens has volunteered at The Bridge, painting a refurbished gymnasium, attended the Falcons second annual Dazzle & Dine dinner with breast cancer survivors, participated in an Atlanta Falcons Gatorade Junior Training Camp at the East Lake YMCA and the Falcons Hometown Huddle.

During the 2009 season, Owens participated in a community activity every Tuesday.

“Winning this award means so much to me,” Owens said. “I feel I have an obligation to give back to the community and help others as a professional athlete. Being able to win an award like this is awesome. We have a lot of guys on our team who do great things in the community and being one of them to stand out is really cool.”

On Dec. 13, each of the Atlanta Falcons Community All-Star winners will be recognized at a dinner for their commitment to giving back to the community. The dinner will be attended by Allstate agents who have shown similar traits, Falcons executives and other selected invited guests.

On Oct. 2, members of the Atlanta Falcons Women’s Association were on hand to show support to all the participants in the It’s the Journey, Inc two-day walk. The B’rest Stop, hosted by the Atlanta Falcons, provided refreshments and special “Falconized” items, such as pink pom-poms, Falcons player cards with breast cancer awareness messaging and pink wristbands.

It’s The Journey, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2002 that raises funds and awareness for various Atlanta-area breast cancer organizations offering support to many women in the Atlanta community. In just its first seven years, Atlanta’s two-day walk for breast cancer has raised $6.6 million and has awarded 107 grants to local breast cancer organizations in the greater Atlanta area.

On Oct. 5, the Atlanta Falcons hosted the second annual Dazzle and Dine event to honor five breast cancer survivors. The five ladies were treated to a little “dazzle” at Jamison Shaw Hairdressers and then “dined” at Wildfire Perimeter. Each of the ladies honored is an active participant in her community and is a courageous steward in raising awareness for breast cancer.

The 2010 Dazzle and Dine honorees are: Valerie Graves, Joya Harris, Andrea Jones, Mahota Matthews and Marie Southern.

The ladies started the day off with a head-to-toe pampering at Jamison Shaw Hairdresser. The ladies each had their hair, makeup and nails done. Following their “dazzle,” the ladies were escorted by a limousine provided by Cooper-Atlanta to dinner at Wildfire Perimeter.

The ladies were greeted at Wildfire Perimeter by a guest of their choice — Atlanta Falcons players Jamaal Anderson, Jonathan Babineaux, Sam Baker, Kroy Biermann, Brian Finneran and Christopher Owens. Finneran addressed the group and spoke about the importance of raising awareness for breast cancer and recognizing the ladies for their efforts.

The ladies each received a gift basket of pink Falcons apparel and four tickets with sideline passes to the Oct. 24 Falcons game, where they were honored during an on-field presentation. The Atlanta Falcons and NFL Charities will also be providing a non-profit breast cancer awareness organization of the honoree’s choice with a $1,000 in their name.

The culmination of the Falcons’ breast cancer awareness activities occurred during the Oct. 24 home game against the Cincinnati Bengals, where breast cancer survivors participated in a variety of activities throughout the game.

The Falcons Fitness Flag Crew was comprised of breast cancer survivors from It’s the Journey, Inc. and American Cancer Society. As a participant in the flag crew, the ladies had the opportunity to tour the Georgia Dome, stretch with the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders and unfurl the giant Falcons flag on the field during player introductions.

The five Dazzle and Dine honorees were honored on the field prior to the game for their dedication and devotion to giving back to the breast cancer community. Five-year breast cancer survivor Vivian Varner, choir director for the Shades of Pink choir, performed the national anthem.

In addition, the Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders, players and coaching staff sported a variety of pink items in support of breast cancer awareness.

The Four Pillar Award, which will be presented to Blank in front of area business leaders at the Georgia World Congress Center, is the Atlanta business community’s highest honor celebrating the pillars of “Quality, Responsibility, Vision and Integrity” and reflects the contributions made to economic development and the region’s quality of life.

“The mission of the Blank Family Foundation is to promote positive change in people’s lives and to build and enhance communities in which they live,” the Council for Quality Growth wrote in announcing the honor. “The Foundation has an especially strong interest in supporting innovative endeavors leading to better circumstances for low-income youth and their families. Through his generosity, The Blank Family Foundation has granted more than $250 million to support early childhood development, education, the arts and parks and green space.”

Said Council President & CEO Michael Paris, “Arthur Blank is a visionary…but what makes him the ideal honoree is the dedication and generosity he has shown to this community, state and country.”

Added Council Chairman Gerald Pouncey: “The level of quality and integrity in which Arthur conducts his businesses and foundation is unmatched in the state and perhaps the country.”

Read more about the Four Pillar Award on the Four Pillar Tribute Website.

Curtis Lofton, Ovie Mughelli and former Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn are among the 36 professional athletes nominated for the Outstanding Athlete in Service category of the 2011 Jefferson Awards for Public Service. The award is a prestigious national recognition system honoring community and public service in America. The Outstanding Athlete in Service award honors the best citizen athletes in professional sports.

Vote today for Lofton, Mughelli and Dunn by visiting the website or by texting 25 for Lofton, 26 for Mughelli and 14 for Dunn to 99158 (standard text messaging rates apply).