Farmington Hills Student Enjoys Exciting Year After Winning Video Contest

Hailey Samples has had an exciting year since winning the 2012 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BSBSM) "Make the Play for Healthy Habits" video contest. 

Now a 6th grader at The Roeper School, Hailey thrilled her schoolmates at Warner Upper Elementary School last May by earning a visit from Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford with her tips for staying fit and healthy. Since then, she has made three video blogs.

"The first one was an interview with Matthew Stafford," Hailey said. "The second was about staying active and being fit." For the third, Hailey and her mother Sheilah, who did the camera work, visited a local grocery store for a segment about eating healthy. 

"Since I talked about different categories in my video, I decided each of my videos would be about one of those categories," Hailey explained. 

In addition to learning more about ways to take care of her health, Hailey's year has included receiving a congratulatory letter from First Lady Michelle Obama, who has led her own health-related campaign for kids. Hailey also joined the Michigan Monarchs youth basketball team and plays volleyball and basketball for her new school. 

Sheilah Samples said her daughter now keeps the family on track with healthy habits, like making sure there are vegetables served with meals. 

"I really just enjoy her enthusiasm," Sheilah Samples said. "I really think she likes to be in front of the camera." 

While Hailey's stint as a guest blogger at aHealthierMichigan.org is coming to an end, she hopes to be able to do a video interview with the new winner. Her experience makes her a big supporter of the program.

To anyone who might be on the fence about submitting a video, Hailey said, "You should just be creative and have lots of fun with it. I would just wish them good luck." 

Open to kids in grades four through eight, the “Make the Play for Healthy Habits” video contest is accepting entries through March 29. In April, 10 semifinalists will be selected and notified and their video submissions will be posted on aHealthierMichigan.org for a 2-week public voting period. The winner will be announced in early May. This year's prizes are the same: a visit from Stafford and healthy lifestyle video blog series. 

“Last year we had such a tremendous response from kids across Michigan to this contest, we are excited to do it again,” said Andrew Hetzel, BCBSM vice president for corporate communications. “Kids are naturally creative. Working with their parents and teachers, Blue Cross wants to see their creativity come to life with the goal of making their schools and communities healthier.”

For complete rules and submission instructions, visit aHealthierMichigan.org/kidcontest.