Staying fit includes fueling up with the right foods and being active for at least 60 minutes every day.

That's the message Atlanta Falcons mascot Freddie the Falcon brought to students at New Holland Core Knowledge Academy during a special visit Monday.

New Holland won the assembly for its efforts to drink more milk in school. The contest was called "Fuel Up Like a Champion."

Freddie, two Atlanta Falcons cheerleaders and emcee Bradley Golub spent an hour talking with children about making healthy decisions, playing outside for 60 minutes daily and studying.

Golub said Falcons players study about 40 hours each week, which includes reviewing plays and football footage.

"They spend more time studying than they do practicing or working out," Golub told the students. "They make happy and healthy choices to better their future by studying."

The feathered mascot also danced with staff and students and handed out prizes.

The contest was part of a health and wellness campaign, Fuel Up and Play 60, supported by the Atlanta Falcons and the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association. Gainesville and Hall County
Schools competed.

Diane Duffy, program adviser for Fuel Up and Play 60 for New Holland, said the school provides milk for breakfast and lunch.

Staff members also are finding new ways to get kids on the right track early. Teachers offer "activity breaks" during class, and the school purchased additional playground equipment.

Duffy added this was the second reward the school earned from the campaign.

Students Rassie Littlejohn, 10, and Taniya Moore, 9, had sideline passes to an Atlanta Falcons game last month as winners of a poster contest. The posters included photos and information about the Falcons and active living.