CHEYENNE -- Scattered throughout Storey Gymnasium Wednesday werehundreds of students -- all of them jumping.
As the loud dance music sang through the speakers, Deming-MillerElementary students were hopping away with a jump rope or wereawaiting their turn.
It was the school's annual Jump Rope for Heart, which raises moneyfor the American Heart Association.
The event teaches children about the importance of exercise.
Students collect pledges and then, on a rotating basis, jump ropefor two minutes at a time.
The Jump Rope for Heart lasts about two hours with each studentjumping approximately 10 times.
Miller sixth-grade student Jordan Crotsenberg said the morningspent jump roping is a lot of fun.
'This is both an individual and a group event,' Crotsenberg said.'It helps us be healthier and we raise money to help those who haveheart problems.'
Miller fifth-grade student Samantha Johnson said she loves to jumprope.
Johnson raised $80 for the American Heart Association and has beenworking hard at jumping rope in gym class.
'This is such a great way to help prevent heart disease,' Johnsonsaid.
Students had their hearts in the event -- and more than just themuscle.
Event coordinator Sandra Bechtholdt said the program teachesstudents about the importance of helping others, even anonymously.
Students raised $2,600 for the Heart Association last year andBechtholdt expects the amount to be similar this year.
Jan Drury works for the local branch of the American HeartAssociation.
Drury said part of the money will help national research and therest will go to local programs, including training for CPR andcommunity education.
'What the students do helps researchers find new advances in heartmedicine,' Drury said. 'Their physical activity makes their own hearthealthier.'
Peter McLeod, a sixth-grader at Miller, said he just wanted tohelp others out.
'Everyone comes together,' he said. 'Maybe people will see usdoing this and maybe they'll stop smoking and exercise or start theirown fundraiser.'
Statistics You Need To Know
Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, kills almost one millionpeople in the United States each year -- that's one death every 33seconds.
About 1 in 5 deaths from cardiovascular diseases is attributableto smoking.
Americans eat 34 percent of their calories as fat, increasingtheir risk of developing high cholesterol.
More than 106.9 million American adults age 20 and older areconsidered overweight, and 43.6 million are considered obese.
Half of all Americans have cholesterol levels that are too high(over 200 mg/dl).
Only about 22 percent of American adults report regular sustainedphysical activity of any intensity lasting 30 minutes or more fivetimes a week.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the No. 1 killer in America. In1998, 949,619 Americans died of CVD, so CVD accounted for about 40.6percent of all deaths.
Estimates are that up to 250,000 deaths per year in the UnitedStates -- about 12 percent of total deaths -- are due to a lack ofregular physical activity.
The National Children and Youth Fitness Study, completed in 1987,found that at least half of youth don't engage in physical activitythat promotes long-term health, that less than 36 percent ofelementary and secondary schools offer daily PE classes, and thatmost classes were unlikely to foster lifelong physical activity.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) ranks first among all diseasecategories in hospital discharges for women. 53.1 percent of allfemale deaths in America occur from CVD, particularly coronary heartdisease (CHD) and stroke.
Source: The American Heart Association Web site -- http://www.americanheart.org. For more information contact the local chapterof the American Heart Association at 632-1746.
