A hearty challenge

Students recently raised $3,837.56 in a recent Kids Heart Challenge/American Heart Challenge program. The Kids Heart Challenge is a fundraiser that provides money to various children with heart disease. Students at Patrick M. Villano School traditionally take part during their gym class.

“I jumped rope with my friends and had fun!” Christian Velez said. The fifth grader attended the jump rope challenge and enjoyed it. “I also enjoyed the idea of the money going to another kid like me who needs it.”

The entire challenge in the school is encouraged and hosted by the Physical Education teachers, Colleen Malzahn and Franklin Tiburcio, known as Mr. T. by the students. Tiburcio could be seen walking around and taking pictures of the students enjoying themselves during the Jump Rope for Heart challenge, as well as helping with the event known as Double Dutch, a harder skill for students.

“It helps kids who are your age born or diagnosed with some kind of heart disease, so it’s very important that as a school or as students we raise money toward that cause,” stated Tiburcio on the event’s purpose.

“We do the Jump Rope for Heart because kids jump hard and donate money toward the cause for heart disease,” Tiburcio explained. “That’s the actual challenge – that you jump rope and then donate as much money as you can to the American Heart Association,” Tiburcio explained.

The American Heart Association encourages families to learn hands-only CPR.

“Every 40 seconds, a loved one still has a heart attack or stroke,” stated posters from the American Heart Association (AHA). The posters around the gym during the event encouraged students to take the CPR course that could be found on the website.