Warner 5th Grader Wins Visit from Detroit Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford

 student Hailey Samples learned her video won the Blue Cross Blue Shield "Make the Play" competition even before her mother had a chance to give her the news. 

Hailey, a 5th grader, opened up a laptop computer in her classroom Monday morning, when contest results were announced on the competition website. 

"I saw my name in big letters, and I got really excited," Hailey said Thursday. Her classmates "were yelling and clapping, and they were all excited." 

Sheilah Samples received a phone call about her daughter's win, but by the time they connected, Hailey had already seen the website. "That was really a better way for her to find out," Sheilah Samples said. 

Hailey and  4th grader Jalen Johnson  for the contest, which ran from April 13 through April 25. Hailey's win means her school will get a visit from Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford on Wednesday, and she will become a video blogger at ahealthiermichigan.org.

The "Make the Play" program was inspired by 10-year-old Marshall Reid from North Carolina, who documented his fight against childhood obesity through “Portion Size Me” videos.    

Video submissions answered the question: “What would you do to make Michigan healthier?”. Hailey and Jalen were among five finalists selected from 40 contest entries submitted by students around the state.