The UH Charter School held its second annual Jump Rope for Heart for the American Heart Association, donating more than $800 to the charity.
Located inside Melcher Gym, students in kindergarten through fifth grade took part in various activities Thursday in the one-hour event.
Students were encouraged to move continuously for 30 minutes with the option to jump rope, hula hoop or dance.
“I feel good because I’m helping people, and I’m getting my heart pumped up,” said fifth grader Jarvis Goosby.
According to the American Heart Association’s website, Jump Rope for Heart is an event created for elementary and middle school students to use jump roping as a mechanism to improve their health and teach them heart-healthy habits. The money the students raise is used to help other children who may be suffering from heart problems.
Fifth grade teacher Leslie Stephens and Peer Professional Eve Medina oversaw the event this year.
“We had a kick-off pep rally to let everyone know and get the kids excited,” Stephens said. “We’d like for (students and faculty) to know we’re here. We do a lot of things on campus and would like to partner up with more departments.”
Students are bringing in donations to assist in meeting the school’s goal of raising $1,000. Fifth grader Daisuke Balderas was most excited about what he could do to make a difference in someone’s life.
“I feel helpful to the kids who have heart problems,” Balderas said. “The more I exercise, the more money is raised to help them out.”