TOP FUNDRAISERS at Fairfield junior high school’s Hoops for Heart contest are Bud Jones and Kacie Carroll. Students at Fairfield elementary and junior high schools helped raise money for the American Heart Association recently by jumping rope and shooting baskets.

Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart programs are designed to encourage students to be physically active and to educate them about heartrelated disease and giving back to the community. At the same time, they raise money used for heart disease research.

Fairfield students in grades one through four participated in Jump Rope for Heart, earning almost $10,000. Fourth graders brought in the most with $3,709, third grade raised $2,068, second grade earned $2,312, and first grade students collected $1,733, for a total of $9,916.

Top fundraisers with more than $150 in collections were Kelli Jo Richardson, Hayden Ward, Madison McQueen, Amber Severs, Cody Anderson, Kealie House, and Haley Stone. Top fundraiser was fourth grade student Kaylee Barrett, who brought in $718.

FAIRFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL’s top fundraisers in the Jump for Heart event are, front l-r, Madison McQueen, Kaylee Barrett, Kelli Jo Richardson, and Hayden Ward, and back l-r, Cody Anderson, Kealie House and Amber Severs. Not pictured is Haley Stone. The Jump Rope for Heart event took place during each grade’s physical education class period one day last week. Students honored friends and family who had heart disease by placing a heart on an “Honor Wall”.

Jumping activities included long jump rope, short jump rope, hurdle jumping, hopscotch, and

Carroll.

jump rope races. Door prizes and drinks were provided for students who raised money for the event, with more than 180 students and teachers actually participating in the fundraising.

“It was a very successful day and we are so proud of the students for all their efforts!” says elementary school physical education instructor Stacy Bachtel.

Fairfield junior high school’s Hoops for Heart raised $3,552.36 including student and teacher fundraisers.

Top student fundraisers were Kacie Carroll, who brought in $160 and Bud Jones, who raised $90.

Student packets were sent out and returned with $3,212.36 in donations, including $435 that was received in the form of online donations.

Girls collected $2,426.16, compared to the boys’ total of $786.20.

FJHS teachers donated $340, and those who donated were allowed to wear sweats for the day. A healthy potluck lunch was available to the faculty and staff.

During the day’s events, friends from ETMC Fairfield manned stations at the gym, providing information about oral hygiene, nutrition, and functions of the heart, with students spending seven minutes at each station. A glucose screening station for also set up for students who turned in parent permission slips.

Three basketball stations set up for students to play and compete in various challenges, and each student received a snack of an apple and raisins.

“Our Hoops for Heart was a huge success! We are very appreciative to all the people who helped us with this event!!” says FJHS coach and Hoops for Heart coordinator Brandy Lynch.