BELLEFONTE — Benner Elementary has participated in the Kids’ Heart Challenge for 15 years.
The program helps promote heart health, increase awareness and raise money for the American Heart Association (AHA), according to comments from Eric Cyone, health and physical education teacher at Benner. All students in grades two through five took part in a virtual kickoff assembly on Oct. 6. A jump rope event on Oct. 20 concluded the program.
The school held an assembly, introduced the plans and encouraged the students to become involved and help raise money. To add to the excitement, the principal added a principal’s challenge where the students learned that the principal and other administrative persons would join in the jump rope fun on Oct.
20. The contest was on.
The students practiced short and long jump rope skills to show what they could do during the upcoming event.
Cyone said, “The students came outside for about a half-hour and jumped while music played. I am amazed by the things these students can do with a jump rope, and it’s great to see how much they enjoy it. They worked even harder raising money this year and set the school’s record with nearly $6,500. For their efforts, they earned prizes based on the amount of money raised and our school will be receiving a $1,000 certificate from U.S. Games for the purchase of PE equipment.”
Cyone said the event is near and dear to his heart for another reason, and that is because his 2-year-old son was diagnosed with a heart condition at two months. He says he is happy that he can do his part to get others involved with the AHA.
The students at Benner did well, but they aren’t the only ones to join the jump rope competition. Daniel Miller, the physical education teacher at Marion Walker Elementary, said, “We are kicking off our Jump Rope for Heart Challenge on Tuesday, Nov. 2. We have a sign-in wall for students who continually jump their ropes for two minutes or more without stopping or missing. In addition, we have a group activity that includes single jump roping, a thunder-stick challenge and long jump rope challenges at the end of the event.”
Miller said that the community is so kind and caring that he knows they will step up to support this cause. There is a code Miller can send, and parents can access which will take them to the website: www2.heart.org.
Pleasant Gap Elementary also plans to join the Kids’ Heart Challenge. You’ll hear more about that as they make their plans. Drew Funk, a physical education teacher at Pleasant Gap, is in charge of PG’s challenge.
