Children hold up a grant check from the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2015, during assembly at Cumberland Trace Elementary School. Wednesday is World School Milk Day. (Miranda Pederson/photo@bgdailynews.com)

Trish Seifert, a cook and baker at Cumberland Trace Elementary School, was dressed in a cow costume as she danced along with teachers in farmer attire Wednesday morning. 

Students at Cumberland Trace Elementary School celebrated World School Milk Day with cheers, dances and a $3,282 check from the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association to promote Fuel up to Play 60, a program encouraging kids to eat healthy and be active for 60 minutes daily. 

“Fuel up to Play 60 helps kids focus on what it takes to be healthy,” said Kathy Belcher, senior manager of school health and wellness with the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association. 

Belcher led kids in a divided chant of “Fuel Up” and “Play 60” after she spoke about the program. 

“So Fueling Up to Play 60, that is a great theme for your school to say we care, you care, about whether or not you need to grow up healthy,” she told the student audience gathered in the school’s gym. 

More than 40 countries celebrate World School Milk Day annually, according to information provided by Belcher. Additionally, Warren County ranked fifth out of the top six milk producing counties in Kentucky in 2014 at 61.5 million pounds. 

Belcher said the school used the grant to purchase a large capacity blender to make smoothies with milk, yogurt and fruit for students. 

Gina Howard, food services director at Warren County Public Schools, said the grant will allow the school to continue emphasizing healthy foods. 

“I think it will emphasize health and well being,” she said, adding Cumberland Trace has a school garden and morning running club for students. 

Local dairy farmer Gail Ballance of Ballance Farms Inc. also visited Cumberland Trace to talk about her daily work as a dairy farmer. 

Ballance said she wants students to know that “we work hard to provide a good, healthy product.” 

Natalya Katcherian, a 9-year-old fourth-grader, said being active allows you to “do almost anything that you set your mind to.” 

— Follow Daily News WKU, county schools and general assignment reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter at twitter.com/aaron_mudd bgdn or visit bgdailynews.com.