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CUMMING, Georgia.
Brookwood Elementary students participate in all kinds of activities in their spring physical education classes. Whether it’s playing kickball, skipping rope, juggling or dancing, these students seem to be on the move all the time in school.
However, many members of the Forsyth County community fail to realize that these same students and their families are saving lives in the process.
Last year, Brookwood families raised nearly $ 35,000 for the American Heart Association simply by participating in these activities and donating money where they could.
But these fundraising efforts don’t stop at Brookwood. Midway Elementary School raised over $ 28,000 last year and Sawnee Elementary School raised an additional $ 25,000.
Every school in Forsyth County participates in these fundraisers, making sure to support the AHA as much as possible. Overall, the district raised nearly $ 300,000 during the pandemic, and in a typical year, schools typically raise close to $ 360,000.
Each year, this places the district in the top 10 nationwide and second in the state for AHA donations.
Mariel Hicks, the organization’s youth market director, said they were incredibly grateful to the district and its families.
“It’s a big deal,†Hicks said. “It might not seem like the case when you’re in your individual schools doing another program or participating in another fundraiser, but what Forsyth is coming together and doing for the American Heart Association is exceptional. “
FUNDRAISING EFFORTS
The fundraisers that take place each spring are called the Kids Heart Challenge in elementary schools and American Heart Challenge in middle and high schools, and each school participates in these challenges in its own way.
“The schools are really going for it,†Hicks said. “They will put up posters, they will put up posters on the brain and on the heart, there will be challenges like ‘drink more water’ and ‘move more’.
Many schools schedule educational weeks where classes focus on heart-healthy counseling, and then over the following weeks organize paid activities. This means that students can participate in a jump rope competition or can participate in a kickball game if they donate $ 5.
Other schools also offer prizes for different levels of giving.
While most families donate a small amount, Hicks said the donations add up and have a huge impact.
HOW FCS HELPS SAVE LIVES
Hicks explained that funds raised by schools each year mostly go to community initiatives and hospital research grants.
Community initiatives include activities and articles that promote heart and brain health. For example, a recent initiative allowed the AHA to install water fountains in schools that could not afford them otherwise.
Research grants, on the other hand, provide funding to universities and research that benefit patients and hospitals both locally and nationally.
These grants can be spent on cardiovascular research, materials, equipment, and more, and researchers can apply for a grant directly through the AHA instead of depending solely on government grants. The organization is the nation’s second-largest funder of heart and heart disease research grants.
Hicks said these grants cost on average about $ 25,000.
“So when you see a county raising $ 360,000, that’s multiple hospital grants,†Hicks said. “If you want to see it from a bird’s eye view, we would be able to provide several hospital grants from that one community. And then you have your schools like Brookwood or Sawnee raising over $ 25,000 a year, so we make sure to let those schools know – you’ve all raised enough money for a hospital.
“It’s a big problem because this research saves lives,” she continued. “You are part of that thing which is bigger than yourself. “
HEALTH MISSION OF THE CUR
Heart and cardiovascular disease are the two leading causes of death in the United States
Before the pandemic, Hicks said the AHA held school assemblies every year, and when asked students in the room if they knew anyone who had suffered from heart disease, almost every hands were raised.
Unfortunately, heart disease is common in communities around the world. According to the AHA, 785,000 Americans have their first heart attack each year, and someone has a stroke every 40 seconds.
Hicks also tries to remind students that heart disease isn’t just common in adults.
Each year, the AHA features a student as a “Hero of the Heart†to share their own story of battling heart disease. This could be an older student with a chronic illness or a younger child who recently had heart surgery.
“We are able to highlight this at the student level so that they can understand that it is not just for the mother and uncle who had a stroke and who may have had heart disease,” but it’s also your friend who sits behind you in second grade, â€Hicks says.
By making the issue more accessible to students, Hicks said she hopes it encourages them to be more aware of heart health.
‘HEART-CONSCIOUS INDIVIDUALS’
Overall, Hicks said the primary goal of the AHA through the Kids Heart Challenge is to normalize discussions about heart health and ensure children and families know how to stay mindful of their hearts. and their brains.
“Only about 7% of the school population will participate in the fundraiser, but 100% of the students benefit from all the materials, everything the teacher does in class, all the little recipes and videos to take away. . “Hicks said.” All students have access to it. “
During the fundraiser, teachers and school leaders are also asking students to enroll on an AHA through their school and make the Heart Healthy Pledge.
By making this commitment, students agree to consult the application and the website again at any time to consult the educational resources made available to them and their families. These resources include everything from educational and exercise videos to healthy recipes.
Registration each spring is free for all students and families. Last year, Hicks said 7,000 students registered online and made the pledge, and not all of those families donated.
“It’s amazing that even though they’re not involved in the fundraiser, they’re still engaged,†Hicks said. “For me, this is the basis for producing heart-caring individuals as they grow older.”
Each school has its own Kids Heart Challenge website where families can register and learn more about the challenge. Those interested can be on the lookout each spring for more information from their school.
As a member of the AHA Board of Trustees, Superintendent Dr Jeff Bearden said he takes pride in the district’s participation in fundraising and organization initiatives each year, helping to disseminate its mission in the community.
“One of the attributes of our FCS Learner Profile is that we want all students to ‘exhibit strong personal qualities,’†said Bearden. “Maintaining well-being and balance in life is an important principle of our learner profile…. Our students learn to be heart healthy while learning to give back to others in need. “
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