There was plenty of jump last Thursday with the kids at John Wilson Elementary School.
And they were jumping with a lot of heart - in fact to become heart heroes.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the children at the school, from kindergarten to Grade 4, were participating in this year's Heart & Stroke Jump Rope for Heart Program, an initiative sponsored by the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT & Nunavut.
The school has been doing the program since 2004 and is one of the top 10 fundraising institutions in Central Alberta. Last year, students at John Wilson raised more than $8,000. The kids are also motivated with prizes in conjunction with the fundraising drive.
The event was held for the entire day at the school, with one-hour rotating sessions for each class in the gym as well as outside in the playground. The students were tasked with eight different physical activities, from rope skipping and jumping to hopscotch outside.
Erika Newsham, a Grade 3 teacher at the school, said it is an important event for the students because many have grandparents and other relatives who are affected by heart disease.
"It also makes children aware of heart health today and how it impacts their futures. It is also a chance for the kids to know they can contribute to an organization."
She also noted the children simply enjoy the activities because they can be active and "get their hearts up for an hour.
"It is a chance to get out in spring and a first opportunity to bust out of the school doors."
The Heart & Stroke Jump Rope for Heart program started in 1980 and today attracts more than 750,000 kids in more than 4,000 schools across the country. Funds raised go towards the Heart and Stroke foundations' vision to eliminate death and disability from heart disease and stroke.
During the 2009/10 school year, more than 79,000 students across Alberta and the territories participated in Jump Rope for Heart, raising more than $1.6 million.
According to the Heart and Stroke foundations across Canada, 26 percent of Canada's children (2 to 17 years old) are overweight or obese ñ that's more than 1.6 million kids. As well, only 20 percent of Canadian children receive daily physical education in school, 41% receive one to two days per week, while 10% get no physical education at all.
The organization said these numbers get worse as children move through high school.
