Raiders work to eliminate student meal debt in Nevada

The Las Vegas Raiders might be in Southern Nevada, but the team is helping out school-aged children across the state.

The Raiders pledged $500,000 toward eliminating student meal debt in Nevada, the team announced in a press release.

“Today, we want to make a donation to the Nevada Department of Agriculture meal service program, which feeds kids lunch and breakfast at the schools. We are hoping to eliminate the debt that the entire state of Nevada has to do that project, and in that regard we are donating $500,000 to the program,” said Raiders Owner Mark Davis in the release.

The money will be allocated through the Nevada Community Foundation (NCF), where NCF will work with Nevada schools that participate in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs in an effort to eliminate existing school meal debt.

NCF is working in conjunction with the Raiders and the Nevada Department of Agriculture, which administers the National School Lunch programs.

“We are proud to partner with the Las Vegas Raiders as the administrator of the organization’s community fund that will retire the cumulative school meal debt for eligible institutions currently participating in NSLP and SBP with the Nevada Department of Agriculture,” said Gian Brosco, president and CEO, Nevada Community Foundation. “As the Raiders prepare for their official arrival as our state’s first-ever NFL team, their positive impact on our community continues to grow as evidenced by this significant gesture. We commend Mark Davis for actively seeking opportunities like this that make a real difference for Nevada students and residents.”

The National School Lunch programs operate in public and nonprofit charter schools. These programs are federally assisted.

“When families are not able to pay for school meals and do not qualify for federal free or reduced priced meals, debt is accrued at the school level,” the Raiders’ release states. “This donation will fill the gap between schools and families who cannot afford to pay their school meal debt.”

For more on the national programs’ meal pattern requirements, nutrition standards, technical assistance and guidance materials, head to bit.ly/2NRBpNO

Contact Interim Editor Jeffrey Meehan at jmeehan@pvtimes.com