Conemaugh Township Elementary participates in Kids Heart Challenge

This January, elementary students at Conemaugh Township participated in the annual fundraiser for the American Heart Association. This fundraiser was previously known as Jump Rope for Heart. The school has been participating in this great event since 2001. All the proceeds from the fundraiser help fund innovative research, advocacy, and patient support until no more loved ones are lost to heart disease and stroke.

In the past years, students would raise money for a jump roping or basketball event during the school day. This year was the first big change in the event, which gave it the new name Kids Heart Challenge. It was designed around an obstacle course. The obstacle course was set up to teach the kids about the structure of the heart, how it works, and the vital role exercise has throughout their lives. The combination of a science/physical education lesson gave the kids the chance to journey through the four chambers of the heart in a larger than life setting. Their mission was to make the heart operate effectively by delivering oxygen depleted blood (blue colored balls) through the heart. From the heart, they traveled to the lungs to switch the depleted blood out for oxygen rich blood (red colored balls), and then they delivered it back to the heart to be distributed throughout the body.

The kids absolutely loved the hands on learning experience while also getting to show off their speed and agility traversing the obstacle course. The kids got to scale a rock wall, slide on scooters, jump hurdles, and face their fears while crossing a high balance beam. Each year, the school sets a goal to aim for when raising money to help this cause. This year, their goal was reached with a total of $3,500 dollars.