Benjamin Franklin Middle School Awarded Grant for Exercise Program

Benjamin Franklin Middle School has received a $2,000 grant from the "Run for Something Better" campaign to create a school-based running program as part of a national effort to encourage kids to be more physically active and fight childhood obesity.

Financial services firm ING donated the grant money through a program with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. The program provides a minimum of 50 grants to schools nationwide for school running programs.  Benjamin Franklin Middle School was the only New Jersey school to receive a grant, according to NASPE.

"The program can be as short as eight weeks or as long as you want it to be. The program's culminating event can be any distance–such as 1 mile or a 5K (3.1 mile) event–held during school, after school, or on a weekend day,' according to the program's website.

It was unclear exactly how the grant funding would be used in Teaneck.  School officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.