Eva Hoyt Zippel Elementary School held an assembly on June 6 to celebrate Kids Heart Challenge, during which students raised more than $17,000 for the American Heart Association.
Monica Bearden, physical education teacher at Zippel, has been leading the Kids Heart Challenge for many years. Since she is retiring this year after 42 years, she was hoping to have the largest fundraiser year yet. The students came through. What they raised doubled last year’s amount.
“The students did an amazing job,” Bearden said. “They have been promoting healthy heart living and spreading that at home, too. The AHA donates a lot of jump ropes and we have a great jump rope unit.”
Gary Urey who traveled up from southern Maine to join in the celebration is the director of school engagement of the American Heart Association. Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death and the No. 1 birth defect, so raising money for heart research is really important, he said.
Zippel raised the 2nd largest amount in the 130 schools that participated in Maine, Urey said.
Many of the students have been affected in one way or another or another by heart disease, so they really wanted to help raise money for the heart association, Bearden said.
At the assembly, school staff gave out about 70 prizes, mostly from the heart association. Special prizes were given to the top 10 fundraisers and the top three classes.
Then the fun began — the top fundraisers got to throw pies, slime, egg and water balloons at Mrs. Bearden.
“It is all for a good cause,” she said.
