The sound of many plastic jump ropes clicking against the wooden floor filled the vast gymnasium. Elementary school students twirled their ropes, practicing diligently for their fundraiser and hoping to save lives of children who, like them, want to live long and healthy lives but who may be hindered by debilitating heart conditions.

Third grade students at Hillcrest Elementary School (HES) raised $14,000 for the American Heart Association (AHA) through the annual Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser to advance research for cardiovascular diseases and strokes.

Founded in 1924, the AHA works to improve Americans’ lives by funding research and advocating for education about lifestyle choices. The AHA works solely to “build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke,” according to the association’s website.

Since its inception 91 years ago, the AHA has grown to include over 22.5 million volunteers and supporters. Adam Parker, Director of Youth Markets at AHA, explained the correlation between the AHA and Jump Rope for Heart.

“Jump Rope for Heart is a youth program that the [AHA] provides to schools across the nation. It focuses on providing education on heart diseases and how [students] can live healthier lifestyles while supporting the AHA and its mission,” Parker said.

Wade Vantrease, physical education teacher at HES elaborated on the school’s involvement with
Jump Rope for Heart and how the students can enjoy physical activity while raising money for a humanitarian cause.

“Hillcrest has been involved with the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart to build awareness of issues related to heart disease. Through Jump Rope for Heart, kids learn jump rope skills, how their [hearts] work, and [they] raise money to help kids with special hearts,” Vantrease said.

About 150 of the 180-200 third-graders voluntarily participated in the fundraiser, and Vantrease explained how the fundraiser operated. The children personally asked friends and family to donate to the AHA, and they also created a website to send e-mails to far-away friends and family asking them for support. The AHA presented the campaign to the third-graders, and Vantrease and his colleagues encouraged students during gym class to ask friends and relatives for donations outside of school. At the end of the three-week fundraiser, all third-grade students pledged to jump rope continually for 45 minutes during their gym class. This year, the students raised over $14,000 during Jump Rope for Heart.

Parker enjoyed spending time with students at HES during the jump rope event portion of the fundraiser.

“[The students and I] had a lot of fun during their event days learning new jump rope tricks and practicing their routines,” Parker said.

Vantrease described how a celebratory assembly recognizes the faculty for their hard work each year. The assembly includes a banner raising, recognition of the top-fundraising classroom, recognition of the top ten individual fundraisers, and a performance by the Heartbeats competition jump rope team.

Parker voiced his gratitude for the ability to work with hard-working children while helping people in need.

“We at the AHA are so proud to be associated with such an amazing group of students who have shown what it really means to be a ‘Heart Hero,’ helping to save the lives of others. They showed that caring for others had huge impacts and [they] far [surpassed] their goals,” Parker said.

Vantrease depicted the students’ motives for accomplishing the complex task of raising money.

“I think when kids are given the opportunity to give back, it provides them with a positive concern for others’ difficulties,” Vantrease said.

This year, Revere Local School District Superintendent Matthew Montgomery spoke with the third graders commending them for their “shocking” willingness to serve others. At HES, the staff emphasizes the character traits in Stephen Covey’s book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Montgomery believed that Jump Rope for Heart exemplified the habits, specifically the habit synergize.

“[I] talked to them about how Jump Rope for Heart fits into the habits that they study… I focused on these types of events, [one of their traits], synergy, and students working together [for] a greater cause,” Montgomery said.

Montgomery recalled that the students’ hard work pleasantly surprised him when he witnessed them realizing the magnitude of their accomplishments during the congratulatory assembly.

“I think it affected the students because they were really making connections about how this humanitarian movement, this philanthropic [idea] can be embraced, and it’s amazing to see [the idea of giving back for the greater good] instilled in young people,” Montgomery said.

The clicking of the jump ropes has subsided, congratulations have been delivered, and the third-graders have resumed their daily routines, but these students have worked to save lives and given other people a chance to do the same. Through their diligence and synergy, 150 kids in the Richfield community became Heart Heroes.