Five Michigan students chosen as finalists in "Make the Play for Healthy Habits" video contest

DETROIT, April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Five Michigan students have been selected as finalists for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's "Make the Play for Healthy Habits" video contest. The winning student's school will receive a special assembly focused on healthy eating and exercise with Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions quarterback.  The winner also will become a guest video blogger on aHealthierMichigan.org.

In January, the Blues asked students, grades four through eight, to submit homemade videos on ways they would make Michigan healthier. The winner will be decided by public votes online at – A Healthier Michigan Facebook page – where the finalist videos are posted. Voting runs through April 26 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.  The winner will be announced April 30.

The 2013 finalists are:

• Ashley Jacobson, a sixth grader from Van Hoosen Middle school in Oakland Township
• Marissa Orzame, a seventh grader from Boulan Park Middle School in Troy
• Mackenzie Pentland, an eighth grader from Sault Area Middle School in Sault Ste. Marie
• Fiona Wing, a seventh grader from Three Lakes Academy in McMillan
• Daphne Yaman, a fourth grader from Kalamazoo Country Day School in Kalamazoo

"We have a great deal of creativity and enthusiasm for health among our student finalists," said Andrew Hetzel, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's vice president for corporate communications.  "Blue Cross believes that having kids share ideas on how to make their schools and communities healthier is an effective way to encourage healthier lifestyle choices among their peers."

Video submissions answered the question: "What would you do to make Michigan healthier?" Students focus on how to live a healthy life and how to communicate healthy lifestyle choices.

"This contest adds another fun dimension to Blue Cross' ongoing efforts to combat childhood obesity by encouraging kids to share their ideas using their natural creativity and new forms of media," Hetzel said.  "Kids have tremendous influence over their friends and classmates – in both positive and negative ways.  Kids who carry positive messages about healthy eating and exercise can be extremely influential and can help reverse a trend where today, nearly one-third of Michigan kids are considered statistically overweight."

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are nonprofit corporations and independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. For more company information, visit www.bcbsm.com. 

SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan