Washington Students will
Jump for Hearts
Washington Primary School students are jumping at the chance to fight heart disease and stroke as America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, respectively. Washington will host its sixth consecutive Jump Rope for Heart to benefit the American Heart Association on Friday, April 5.
Jump Rope for Heart helps teach students how physical fitness benefits the heart and shows them that volunteering can be a fun and positive experience for the whole community. The need to educate young people about the importance of physical activity has never been more important as recent studies show that as many as one-third of children ages 2-19 are either overweight or obese.
Washington Primary School students are getting excited about participating in the program. They have been practicing individually and in small groups. Several other schools in the Huntington School District also participate in the Jump Rope for Heart program and have raised thousands of dollars for the American Heart Association.
"By including physical activity in their daily routines, kids can significantly reduce the onset and burden of heart disease," said Even Pyser, the school site manager for the American Heart Association's Suffolk chapter. "By raising money through Jump Rope for Heart, we are preventing heart disease and obesity for the next generation of Americans. Kids are literally jumping into a heart healthier life while becoming passionate about raising money for other kids with sick hearts."
Over the past 32 years, Jump Rope for Heart has raised more than $810 million across the country to fight heart disease and stroke. Millions of students have jumped rope and learned about heart health and how nutrition and physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke. Jump Rope for Heart is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.
Visit www.americanheart.org/jump for more information about Jump Rope for Heart.