MCLEAN, Va., June 26 /PRNewswire/ -- USA TODAY and the National Milk Mustache "got milk?(R)" campaign named 25 scholar athletes to the 12th annual Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Award.
The 25 outstanding high school athletes will be awarded a $7,500 college scholarship, attend a SAMMY 2009 weekend June 26-28 at the Walt Disney World Complex in Orlando, Fla. with their parents and/or guardians and will be pictured in a special congratulatory "got milk?(R)" mustache ad in USA TODAY on June 26.
"USA TODAY congratulates the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) for creating and funding the SAMMY program and for recognizing young people across the United States who are top performers in the classroom, in their respective sports, communities and also include milk as part of their daily routine," said Susan Lavington, senior vice president of marketing for USA TODAY.
The 2009 SAMMY winners are: -- Heather Lee Adams - Boise, Idaho -- Laura Bellamy - Duluth, Minn. -- Hannah Connealy - Whitman, Neb. -- Lindsay Danielson - Osceola, Wis. -- Jacquelyn Davis - League City, Texas -- Summer Joy Dupler - Beverly Hills, Fla. -- Elliot Toy Feng - Albuquerque, N.M. -- Devin Guillory - Baton Rouge, La. -- Lauren Gustafson - Columbus, Ind. -- Arthur Stewart Kerr - Lake Forest, Ill. -- Skyler Lashley - Lingle, Wyo. -- Alex Lendrum - Phoenix, Ariz. -- Amundam (Moonie) Mancho - Budd Lake, N.J. -- Libby Marden - Overland Park, Kan. -- Matt Mulligan - Durango, Colo. -- Brandon Parker - Las Vegas, Nev. -- Christian Roehmer - Mt. Pleasant, Mich. -- Andrea Schaefer - Enterprise, Ore. -- Rachel L. Schneider - Sanford, Maine -- Shari' Nicole Thomas - Steubenville, Ohio -- Clara R. Tsao - Moraga, Calif. -- Caroline Weaver - South Burlington, Vt. -- Rachel Elizabeth Wein - Perryville, Md. -- Ge "Andy" Zhang - Marietta, Ga. -- Inar Zhang - Mercer Island, Wash.
The team of 25 was selected by a panel of judges from nearly 55,000 students nominated by teachers, coaches, principals, guidance counselors, athletic directors, parents and relatives. Judges considered academic performance, athletic excellence, leadership, community service and milk experience essay.
For more information on these winners, see the Friday, June 26, edition of USA TODAY or log on to http://www.usatoday.com/, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usatoday or Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/usatmedialounge.
Education partners for the SAMMY 2009 award program include: the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Sport and Physical Education, the American School Counselor Association and the National School Public Relations Association.
Body By Milk(R) is part of the National Milk Mustache "got milk?(R)" Campaign, a multi-faceted education program focused on the health benefits of milk. The campaign is managed by the Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) in Washington, D.C., which is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. Lowe New York is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache "got milk?(R)" Campaign.
USA TODAY was founded in 1982 with a mission to serve as a forum for better understanding and unity to help make the USA truly one nation. Through its flagship newspaper and popular Web site, USA TODAY engages the national conversation and connects readers online through social media applications. USA TODAY, the nation's top-selling newspaper with a total average daily circulation of more than 2.1 million, and USATODAY.com, an award-winning newspaper Web site which launched in 1995, reach a combined 5.8 million readers daily. The USA TODAY news and information brand also includes: USA TODAY Education, USA TODAY LIVE, USA TODAY Mobile, Open Air magazine and USA TODAY Sports Weekly. USA TODAY is owned by Gannett Co., Inc. .
USA TODAY
CONTACT: Elga Maye, Sr. Coordinator/Communications of USA TODAY,
+1-703-854-5292, emaye@usatoday.com
Web Site: http://www.usatoday.com/
