MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVER, N.C.(Jan. 25, 2013) -- If you have never seen a gymnasium full of children jumping in unison and singing every word to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe,” then you’ve never been to Delalio Elementary School’s annual Jump Rope for Heart event.
Students at Delalio jumped at a chance to fight heart disease and stroke, the nation’s number one and number four killers, during the school’s event aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River.
The students participated in several different events such as hula-hooping and jumping rope.
“Jump Rope for Heart teaches students about how physical fitness benefits the heart and shows them that volunteering can be a fun and positive experience for the whole community,” said Wyonia Chevis, Delalio Elementary School principal. “The need to educate children about the importance of physical activity couldn’t be timelier.”
According to recent studies done by the American Heart Association, about one-third of children between the ages of 2-19 are overweight.
“By including physical activity into their daily routines, kids can significantly reduce the onset burden of heart disease,” said Amy Parker, Parent Teacher Association president. “By raising money through Jump Rope for Heart, we are preventing heart disease and obesity for the next generation of Americans, and they are literally jumping into a heart-healthier life while becoming passionate about raising money for other kids for sick hearts.”
For more than 33 years, Jump Rope for Heart has raised more than $818 million for the fight against heart disease according to the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance the two organizations that spearhead the effort to extinguish childhood heart diseases.