Clearview Elementary was filled with jumping students last week as they participated in the ninth annual “Jump Rope for Heart” event, led by physical education teacher George Bienusa.

 

Jump Rope for Heart is one of the American Heart Association’s classroom programs that are aimed at teaching kids healthy heart habits and the importance of helping others. Along with participating in the event, students are encouraged to get donations from friends and family that will help save lives of people with heart problems.

 

Bienusa was approached by a representative from the American Heart Association the year he began teaching at Clearview to see if he would be interested in an event that would get kids learning about ways to stay healthy, making a difference in the lives of others and having fun.

 

He agreed to try it, and Clearview’s first Jump Rope for Heart event was held. That first year students raised around $2,500, last year they raised $15,000.

 

 “I take a day out of Phy Ed and talk to the kids about how important it is to exercise and have a strong heart,” said Bienusa. “I always tell a story about someone I know who has a bad heart so that it’s more meaningful to them.”

 

The event consists of a number of different stations designed to get heart rate going and work the lower body, including step-ups, hacky sack, long jump, hopscotch, and of course, jump rope. Students rotate from station to station every two and a half to three minutes for 45 minutes, long enough to get their heart rate going but short enough they can’t get bored too quickly. Coborn’s donates cookies for the rest station.

 

The students decide if they want to get donations for the event, it’s not required. Jump Rope for Heart is held during regular physical education classes so all the students in grades one through six participate. To give them something to work for, each student that collects donations receives a jump rope to take home.

 

“I stress to the kids the importance of being able to do it,” said Bienusa. “I tell them to think of someone they know with heart problems that they want to jump for that day. You can do it, but they can’t.”

 

For more information on the American Heart Association or Jump Rope for Heart, visit their website at www.heart.org.