Savannah Nowalk with her PE teachers Ryan Starliper and Sunnie Williams
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association is proud to honor a Greene Intermediate School fourth-grader for her fundraising work with Jump Rope For Heart.
Savannah Nowalk raised $1,170 this year. Savannah raises money in honor of her Great Aunt Doris and her Grandma Nowalk. This is Savannah’s second year being honored as the school’s top fundraiser.
School officials announced Savannah as the top fundraiser at Greene Intermediate School during an assembly Friday morning. Savannah says it’s important to be part of Jump Rope For Heart because not everyone can do what she does, so she wants to help them. Also during the assembly, other students shared why they take part in Jump Rope For Heart and why heart health is important to them.
Jump Rope For Heart events raise money for the American Heart Association, which funds lifesaving heart and stroke research and community and educational programs for our youth. Students also learned about the importance of staying physically active.
Jump Rope For Heart teaches students how physical fitness benefits the heart and shows them that volunteering can be a fun and positive experience for the whole community. The need to educate children about the importance of physical activity couldn’t be timelier. According to recent studies, about one-third of children ages 2 to 19 are overweight and obese.
“By including physical activity into their daily routines, kids can significantly reduce the onset and burden of heart disease,” said Ramona Englebrecht, Vice President of Youth Market. “By raising money through Jump Rope For Heart, we are preventing heart disease and obesity for the next generation of Americans. Kids are literally jumping into a heart healthier life while becoming passionate about raising money for other kids with sick hearts.”
For 37 years, Jump Rope For Heart has raised more than $818 million for the fight against heart disease and stroke. Millions of students have jumped rope and learned about heart health and how nutrition and physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke. Jump Rope For Heart is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.