KOOTENAI — At six-foot-five, George Fant towers over a lot of adults, not to mention elementary school students.

But that didn't stop Kootenai Elementary sixth-grader Bobby Miller from taking on the Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle in in an arm wrestling match. While he went easy on Bobby, Fant did win the match.

Bobby is one of five ambassadors this year for the school's Fuel Up to Play 60 initiative, and for the first time since implementing the program in 2013, Kootenai Elementary was awarded a visit from an NFL player on Thursday.

"We are so grateful to Fuel Up to Play 60 for this opportunity," said Kootenai Principal Kelli Knowles shortly before the assembly began. "I think it's just going to be amazing for these kids to be able to hear his story and be inspired by a professional athlete. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for so many people — so many Kootenai kids — it's going to be unforgettable."

Fuel Up to Play 60 is an effort founded by the National Dairy Council and the NFL to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

Fant said he was happy to be chosen for the visit and for the chance to interact with the kids. His message to the kids was in line with the efforts of Fuel Up to Play 60 in that they should always eat healthy and stay active. While video games are fun, he said, it is important to "get outside and play, even if it is for an hour a day."

He grew up in a small farm town in Kentucky where his dad was a "huge" influence on him, he said. Growing up, everyone was always outdoors and eating healthy has always been a priority for him, Fant said, whether it be during his time as a college basketball player or his NFL career.

"Health is wealth, so I always fuel my body with the right things," Fant said. "I've always been an advocate of eating healthy, eating the right things and trying to stay on top of my health."

Teresa Kemink, Kootenai PE teacher and Fuel Up to Play 60 advisor, said they entered a "Fuel Greatness" contest in which they had to promote breakfast. So the students did some colored drawings that promoted things like drinking milk, and made a bulletin board outside the school promoting National Breakfast Week. The school was then entered into a drawing, and with only one school in Idaho able to get a visit from an NFL player, Kootenai Elementary was the lucky winner.

Fuel Up ambassadors from Clark Fork Junior/Senior High School were invited to the assembly as well, including eighth-grader Caiya Yanak, sophomore Sara Hathaway and freshman Dante Kemink. The Clark Fork program is advised by Curtis Hathaway, a Sky House chef, who said eating is an important part of playing.

"But you've got to eat the right kind of foods," he said. "It's about a balanced diet, balanced exercise, and I think Fuel Up to Play 60 kind of touches on all that."

Last summer, Dante attended a Fuel Up to Play 60 national ambassador summit, where he won the Innovation Challenge for his "Yummy Time Breakfast Bar" idea. He received $1,000 as a prize, which were used for a smoothie machine and supplies, and food for a yogurt bar for Clark Fork's cafeteria. According to a statement from the Idaho Dairy Council, Dante's involvement is "especially noteworthy" since Clark Fork is ineligible for Fuel Up to Play 60 funding because it does not participate in the National School Lunch Program.

Over the past five years, Dairy West and the Idaho Dairy Council have awarded Kootenai Elementary $8,748 in Fuel Up to Play 60 grants to support a healthy lifestyle for the kids. In 2016, for example, Kootenai Elementary was awarded $1,860, helping the school purchase equipment to make fresh smoothies. Some of the funds went toward the school garden, which produces potatoes, carrots and other fresh vegetables. Later that year, the school had a harvest celebration, where kitchen staff, with the help of a few students, made soup from some of the garden vegetables to feed to the entire student body. Kitchen manager Gayle Lord said at the time that she always incorporates vegetables from the garden into meals when she can. Remaining funds from that grant were used for recess equipment.

The school then received a grant in September for $1,000, which purchased a new cafeteria table. Lord also recently got a new commercial KitchenAid mixer and pans, which helped out "tremendously," she said.

Sixth-graders Kacey Cuizon and Hailey Fisher, who served as Kootenai Fuel Up ambassadors this year, said some of the physical activity they do for the program includes walks around the school, and from April 30 until the end of May there will be a jogathon where the students can earn prizes. Kemink said the Dairy Council helped fund a race timing kit for the jogging club to aid the school in raising funds for the prizes.

Arrow Christofferson and Mason Twineham entered the Fuel Up to Play 60 dance contest, where students send in a video for a chance to win prizes, including a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

"I though Arrow was going to win that," Mason said, moments before Arrow demonstrated a few of his moves.

Mason echoed Knowles in that the visit from the offensive tackle was a once-in-lifetime experience. He chose to be part of the Fuel Up to Play 60 because he "loves" sports and what is "really cool," he said, is that Fant went from being a catcher to a lineman, and Mason was a wide receiver.

"He went to a lineman position and he said he likes that way better, and so did I," Mason said. "It is really cool to have a professional athlete come here."

Arrow said he has never met a professional football player before, calling it an "awesome, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." He only recently became an ambassador. He said he had wanted to do it for a while, but said he was always busy doing something else.

"I finally decided to do it this year and it was a great choice," he said.

Arrow had one final comment to add — "Go Seahawks."

Mary Malone can be reached by email at mmalone@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.