The Dairy Council of Arizona and Arizona Diamondbacks kicked off the Valley’s summer feeding programs at Chief Hill Learning Academy in Chandler Tuesday.

“We wanted to kick off June Dairy Month across the state, and Arizona Milk Producers, it's part of our daily family farms here in Arizona,” said Craig Caballero with Arizona Milk Producers. “We found this way as a great kickoff to help the needy children in Arizona and we raised $46,000.”

Chief Hill Learning Academy was one of 23 schools to receive a $2,000 grant from the Dairy Council of Arizona to help feed children who would otherwise go hungry when out of school.

At the Pizza Camp, more than 50 children decorated their own personal pizza box and then built their own personal pizza that was baked on-site in a state-of-the-art conveyor pizza oven.

“It gives kids 18 and under an opportunity to be creative, learn some life skills and a lot of positive reinforcement,” said Bryan Forney, kitchen manager at Chief Hill Learning Academy. “They make their own pizza, bring it up and we cook it for them, they get it. It’s a junior pizza camp, aspiring chef’s program.”

Joining the children and Dairy Council of Arizona were Arizona Diamondbacks mascot Baxter and the street team. They provided activities and reinforced the importance of nutritious dairy in a healthy diet.

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