• Jump Rope for Heart to raise awareness, donations for American Heart Association

    heart jumpSchools in the Bellefonte Area School District are hosting Jump Rope for Heart – a program through the American Heart Association.

    On Nov. 15, the event will be held at Pleasant Gap Elementary. On Nov. 16, second to fifth-grade students at Benner Elementary School will do a little extra exercise in physical education class by participating in a variety of jump rope activities. Marion-Walker Elementary School generally hosts its event in February.

    Jump Rope for Heart is an annual campaign that helps raise awareness about heart health, and helps raise money for the American Heart Association. This is the 10th year the schools have participated, said Eric Cyone, Benner and Pleasant Gap elementary health and physical education teacher.

    “It's a great program that gets kids excited about being physically active while raising awareness about heart health,” he said. “Depending on the amount of money raised, each school gets a gift certificate for the purchase of PE equipment.”

    Benner has raised more than $31,000, and Pleasant Gap raised $37,000 since bringing the program to the schools. The goal this year at Benner is to raise at least $5,500, while there are hopes to raise $7,000 at Pleasant Gap, Cyone said.

    *By Brit Milazzo, public relations director, BASD. Graphic provided by the Heart Foundation.