Got Milk? Harvard-Bound Athens Swimmer Wins SAMMY Award

SAMMY Award winners know that breakfast sets the tone for the day; that’s why they grab a bowl of cereal with lowfat milk or a latte with fat free milk before they head off to class.

Darwin Hsu, local student athlete at , is no exception, and now the Harvard-bound recent graduate is a recipient of the 2012 Scholar Athletes Milk Mustache of the Year (SAMMY) Award and a $7,500 college scholarship.

The National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign’s SAMMY Awards, in partnership with USA TODAY, celebrated its 16th anniversary this year by choosing 25 outstanding high school student athletes who represent excellence in athletics, academics, community service and leadership, and include milk in their everyday diets. The winners were selected amongst an applicant pool of over 30,000 students.

Hsu joins the ranks of an excellent group of 375 SAMMY Alumni and Milk Mustache celebrities who act as role models to teens across the country. In addition to the $7,500 scholarship, Hsu and his fellow SAMMY winners will take a trip to Disney World with their families for a weekend of events, including an award ceremony hosted by Milk Mustache athlete Chauncey Billups and softball superstar Jennie Finch. Winners will also star in a special Milk Mustache ad in USA TODAY on June 29.

“We are thrilled to be able to reward these exceptional teens for their commitment to sport, education and their health,” said Victor Zaborsky, Marketing Director of the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign. “They also serve as role models for drinking milk – especially for breakfast. Milk is a natural source of high-quality protein, which helps keep you full in the morning so you’ll stay on track with your healthy eating plan throughout the day. It’s just not breakfast without milk.”

This year’s 25 winners were selected by a panel of athlete Milk Mustache judges including Chauncey Billups, Dara Torres and Tony Hawk. These judges had a tough decision but chose Hsu because of his many achievements.

During his time at Troy Athens High School, Darwin swam for his school and club team, winning numerous awards including the Michigan Swimming State Title in the 100 Breaststroke. Hsu graduated at the top of his class, having taken 14 AP Classes and 2 college courses.

Hsu was also a part of the Athens Symphony Orchestra, which completed a successful performance at the Carnegie Hall National Youth Concert in New York City last March. Hsu founded Club Wall Street, an organization dedicated to teaching the community how to save, plan and invest for the future, and also volunteers with a variety of community organizations like the National Honor Society and Project LEAD.

“When I heard that I had won a SAMMY Award this year, I was really happy!” Hsu said. “I’ve grown up with the Milk Mustache campaign, so it will be pretty cool to see myself in a Milk Mustache ad! Everyone knows that milk has calcium and nutrients and is such a big part of so many people’s everyday breakfast routine, so it’s great that the iconic got milk? campaign is rewarding students with scholarship money.”

Vote for the SAMMY MVP

SAMMY Award winners are widely known for excelling in the classroom, on the sports field and in their communities. This year the National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign is looking for the student-athlete who best embodies the spirit of SAMMY and one winner will be named SAMMY MVP at the 2012 awards ceremony. Families, friends and SAMMY fans will have the opportunity to vote for the second annual SAMMY MVP by logging onto www.SAMMYMVP.com  and casting their vote. The winning SAMMY scholar will have an additional $5,000 donated to an organization of their choice.

Milk at Breakfast Fuels Successful Days

As leaders in their classrooms, their communities and on the sports fields, SAMMY Award winners know that a good breakfast with milk helps give them the energy, confidence and nourishment they need to get through their day. With its nine essential nutrients, milk helps make breakfast more complete. Whether in a glass, cup or bowl, it enhances the nutritional value of the morning meal. Mornings without milk make it difficult to make up for the nutrient shortages later in the day. In fact, studies show that milk drinkers and breakfast eaters have more nutritious diets and tend to be leaner than non-milk drinkers and breakfast skippers.

Follow SAMMY

The SAMMY Awards are given once a year to 25 high school seniors. For more information on this year’s SAMMY winners, other contests and news from the latest Milk Mustache celebrities, log on to www.SAMMYMVP.com. Fans can follow the weekend activities and learn more about winners at Facebook.com/MilkMustache or follow us on Twitter @MilkMustache.

About the National Milk Mustache "got milk?" Campaign

The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption.  The National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board, through MilkPEP, runs the National Milk Mustache "got milk?^®" Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk.  For more information, go to www.TheBreakfastProject.com. Deutsch, A Lowe and Partners Company, is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache "got milk?^®" Campaign.

Source: National Milk Mustache “got milk?” Campaign