"It takes HEART to be a Hero!" update:

Please remember that you and your students are HEART heroes for participating and raising funds for the American Heart Association. You and your students are helping other children in their fight against heart disease. Please view and share with your students the attached Hero story about Brigid, a 10 year old girl who is living with a heart condition. She is one of many that benefit from the money raised by Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart.

Grant money available to Jump Rope/Hoops for Heart schools

You can get a $2500 grant for PE equipment at your school! The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) strives to give back to those who are dedicated to Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart programs. AAHPERD has developed this Grant Program to reward the passion and commitment of coordinators across the country. All Jump Rope for Heart/Hoops for Heart coordinators that have held an event within the last year are eligible to apply for the AAHPERD JRFH/HFH Grant. The application deadline is OCTOBER 15, 2009!!! Please see the attached document for more information and the application form.

Health Tip of the month

October is Sudden Cardiac Awareness Month. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is different from a heart attack. While a heart attack is described as a “plumbing problem,” SCA is more of an “electrical problem” that prevents the heart from functioning effectively. Know the signs and symptoms. When SCA occurs, the heart stops beating altogether. As a result, blood no longer is pumped throughout the body, including the brain. The person suddenly passes out, loses consciousness, and appears lifeless—except for abnormal “gasping” which may last for several minutes. The SCA victim is never awake and needs immediate help. If nothing is done, the victim will die within minutes. When SCA occurs, it is critically important that whoever is near the victim calls 9-1-1 immediately, checks for signs of life, and if there are none, gives CPR and use the nearest automated external defibrillator (AED).

How You Can Save a Life: Sudden Cardiac Arrest

* Call 9-1-1 immediately

* Give CPR or at the very least chest compressions

* Use an AED

Did you know…you can raise money for the American Heart Association by playing games online?

The American Heart Association has joined GamesThatGive, a new Web site that generates money for charity when you play their free online games such as Solitaire, Bubble Burst, Gems and Sudoku. The more you play, the more revenue GamesThatGive will donate to the American Heart Association! Visit www.gamesthatgive.net today! Sign up and choose the AHA as your organization to support.

When is your Jump Rope and/or Hoops for Heart event?

If you already have a date set, please make sure your date is on your school’s master calendar. If you haven’t already set a date, please look at your school calendar and set a date for your Jump Rope and/or Hoops for Heart event. Please let me know what date you decide, your school’s enrollment, and what 2 sizes you’d like your t-shirts to be, so we can order your materials. We are asking that all schools complete their event by April 30, 2010. We had a very difficult time this past year with schools holding their event so late that we had to create a “cut off date” for 2009-2010.

Some options for dates are:

* October - during Red Ribbon Week

* February 1, 2010-CAAPHERD’s Guinness Book of World record attempt day to break current jump roping record. (please contact me if you’re interested in participating in this.)

* February – Heart Month and Valentines Day (2/12 – Friday)

* April – Physical Fitness Month