Shields students raise $7,100 through Jump Rope for Heart

My Shields Elementary students raised $7,100 this spring for the American Heart Association. That’s a new record in the five-year history of this popular project. During February and March, known as Healthy Heart Months, I transform the Shields gym into Coach B’s Fitness Center, and we learn about the importance of diet, exercise and having a healthy heart. Each week, the students enter the gym with a membership fee of “a smile to get in and a smile to leave.” The students learn about their heart rate and different ways to take their heart rate. They learn about healthy foods and “go, slow and whoa foods.” And finally, they learn about the importance of exercise and keeping your heart healthy. It’s a fun unit and the students look forward to taking part in the activities.

This past week, I presented prizes to the students who raised money for the American Heart Association, and we attempted to take a photo with the students in the shape of a heart. Have you ever tried to make a heart shape with 45 5-10-year-old kids by yourself at 2 p.m.?  

The $7,100 amount finished second among elementary schools in the state of Delaware.

Your heart by the numbers

If your heart beats an average of 80 beats per minute, your heart beats about 4,800 times per hour. That's a whopping 115,200 times per day. Over the course of a year, your heart would beat more than 42 million times! If you live to be 80 years old, your heart would have beaten approximately 3 billion times! What a muscle your heart is! Most runners have a resting heart rate in the 60s and some in the 50s, so the numbers above are even higher for runners.

From the students

I thought It would be interesting to get a perspective from a couple of my elementary students regarding their thoughts on Jump Rope for Heart. This week I will feature 10-year-old Landon Diehl and 11-year-old Aubrie Myers, who are both in fifth grade at Shields Elementary. 

Jump Rope for Heart is important to me!

By Landon Diehl

Every year when I participate in the Jump Rope for Heart, it is very important to me because I am raising money for the American Heart Association. The money I raise helps other children, babies and adults that have heart conditions. I believe in being healthy and keeping my heart healthy. To stay healthy, my family plays sports and exercises a lot!  We also stay healthy by eating healthy. I think when I participate, it is another way for me to keep myself healthy, it shows others how important it is to be healthy and helps the American Heart Association help those in need!    

Heart to Heart

By Aubrie Myers

My name is Aubrie and I’m 11 years old. I go to Shields Elementary School, where we have raised money for the American Heart Association in an event called Jump Rope for Heart. Having a healthy heart is important to kids and adults. Jump Rope for Heart raises money and awareness of heart issues. I have a special connection to this because my dad is a heart doctor. It feels great to help others and make heart to heart connections. I encourage you to make a donation to the American Heart Association. 

Henlopen Conference Championships

Track and field athletes from each Henlopen Conference School converge at Polytech High School Thursday and Friday, May 11 and 12, for the Henlopen Conference Championships. The two-day meet featured half of the field events, sprint trials and the final of the 3,200-meter relay Thursday, while the rest of the meet will be run Friday afternoon. I look for Smyrna High School to emerge out front on the girls’ side, while Smryna, Dover and Polytech boys could get tangled up on the boys’ side. Locally for Cape Henlopen, Olivia Brozefsky in the pole vault, Ce’yra Middleton in the shot put and MacKenzie Parker in the discus have a shot at placing in the top three finishers in their events. Brozefsky will also run the 3,200-meter relay, the 1,600 meters and the 800 meters in the meet.   

Ryan Head is top seed in the pole vault as he has jumped 11-feet-9-inches this season, while Ben Ashby is ranked third in the long jump and fourth in the triple jump and 100 meters. Ashby gave up baseball this spring to improve his speed for his fall football season, and has transitioned to track and field rather easily so far. Brother Jack, currently playing soccer for Lynchburg, is a former Seashore Striders cross country runner who was a multiple youth All-American as a youngster.

Side note: The Beacon Middle 4-by-100, 4-by-200, 4-by-400 and 4-by-800 relays team would all be in the top three or four teams among the high school conference teams. The 1:49.4 time logged by the 4-by-200 relay at the Cape Relays would be seeded second behind Smyrna and its blazing 1:46 seed performance. 

Community support

Last weekend, I directed the first Run for Recovery 5K, sponsored by Attack Addiction, and it was nice to see that several groups in the Cape community supported it. A total of 205 runners and walkers from all walks of life turned out in the inaugural year. Addiction affects many in different ways, and everyone copes with the illness in their own way. The key is being able to deal with the sickness, admit to the sickness and get help and treatment for your sickness. More events like this are needed in the Cape community to raise awareness and bring everyone together as one Cape family.

Brian Ciabattoni, 15, of Lewes won the overall male championship in 20:50, while Korin Miller of Lewes ran 21:46 to win the female championship. John Blackford, 40, of Milton won the male masters in 21:34, and Sheryl Kline of Seaford won the female masters race in 24:12.

Upcoming races

• Saturday, May 13 - Ninth annual Mother’s Day 5K Remembrance Run, Irish Eyes, Lewes, 9 a.m., www.seashorestriders.com

• Saturday, May 13 - Second annual Lyme Disease Awareness 5K, Ocean City, Md., 9 a.m., www.races2run.com

• Sunday, May 14 - SPF 5K at the Beach for Melanoma, Rehoboth Beach, 8:30 a.m., www.races2run.com

• Saturday, May 20 - 16th annual Scamper for Paws & Claws 5K Run, Killens Pond State Park, Felton, 9 a.m., www.seashorestriders.com

• Saturday, May 20 - Second annual Rehoboth Run-for-the-Books 5K, Rehoboth Beach, 8:30 a.m., www.races2run.com

• Saturday, May 20 - Second annual Schell Brothers Run Happy 5K, Coastal Club, Lewes, 1 p.m., www.races2run.com

• Sunday, May 21 - Fifth annual Wild Goose Chase 5K Run, Trap Pond State Park, Laurel, 9:30 a.m., www.seashorestriders.com

• Sunday, May 21 - Eighth annual DE-feet Breast Cancer 5K Run, Rehoboth Beach, 8:30 a.m., www.races2run.com.