Kids Hoop, Jump For Heart

WAITSBURG - Dayton and Waitsburg Elementary students hula hoop-ed and jumped rope for their hearts last week and raised thousands of dollars for the American Heart Association.

Dayton fourth and fifth graders completed their Hoops for Heart program last Wednesday. About 100 first through third graders jumped rope last Thursday.

On Friday, about 125 Waitsburg students, kindergarten through fifth grades, jumped rope and hula hooped in the Waitsburg High School gym.

Both schools have participated in the fundraising program that promotes heart health and raises money for the American Heart Association for more than 10 years. Kathy Mason, Dayton's elementary P.E. teacher said Dayton has participated for 26 years.

The kids collect money from community members who sponsor them to hoop and jump for a certain period of time.

"This community is used to (the fundraiser) and they're very giving," Mason said. "It's fun and the exercise

( Top) Sierra West shows off her hoop skills last Friday at WHS. (Right) Dayton's Kiearra Milan demonstrates her criss-cross arm moves last Thursday at DHS. they get (is great)."

Students in both districts have been learning about how the heart works and how to keep it healthy.

Dinah Lindsey, a first grade teacher at Waitsburg and a co-coordinator, said the high school students got involved this year. They prepared a kick-off skit with dancing and a handful even helped out on the big activity day.

"We're all focusing on what we can do to be healthy," Lindsey said. " The high school-ers have gotten on board to be an example."

In Dayton last Thursday, the kids excitedly squirmed and talked with classmates while waiting to begin jumping. Mason, with an electric megaphone, gave the kids directions about how they will be jumping for one minute, one student in their group at a time.

In P.E., Mason's students have been working up to being able to jump for 3 minutes, 33 seconds because that is the equivalent of one mile of running, she said. The students yelled and screamed their support for their classmates when it was their turn to jump. They got to take water and sports drink breaks so they could stay hydrated. The students didn't have to just jump in traditional ways, they simply had to keep moving for their one minute of time. They could also swing the rope in addition to jumping.

In Waitsburg last Friday, the fourth and fifth graders went first hula hooping as much as they could. When it was the younger students' turn, they had two jumping stations and one station of hula hoops that they rotated through. High school teacher's assistants helped turn large ropes. Parents were also on hand at both schools as volunteers who helped prepare snacks and cheered students on. Mason said each year Dayton Elementary School students raise about $5,000 through hoops and jump for heart programs. Lindsey said there's still some money coming in, but so far Waitsburg Elementary students have raised $2,100. According to the organization's website, "75 cents of every dollar given stays in one of the eight regional offices.

Those offices are each charged with the programs, operations and research occurring at our 2,000 local organizations and decides where in the region its money and resources will make the most difference. Regional offices provide service support for your local office to help use your dollar most effectively. Affiliates use approximately 60 cents of the 75 cents they receive to fund the programs and operations in your region."

About 15 cents of that money goes to local research. Finally, the other 25 cents of that dollar goes to support national programs like CPR programs for babysitters and national research projects.

"Thank you for all the community support and all who volunteered," Lindsey said.