With Heart
Schools reach fundraising goal
Two Yuma schools teamed up for a “hearty” goal last spring: Raise $10,000 for the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart program.
Students from Gowan Science Academy and H.L. Suverkrup, which share a valley campus near the Crane School District’s offices, brought in coins, dollars and online pledges.
On a cool February day, about 800 students from the two schools, including teachers and staff, jumped with all their might, but landed a bit short of the goal at $9,500, according to the school’s Facebook posting from that day. Physical Education teacher Brian Yahna, in his first year at Gowan, got a cream pie splattered across his face.
Wednesday afternoon during a teacher in-service, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Western States Affiliate Youth Market Director Morgan Porter told teachers that the goal had not only been met, but surpassed, to a round of applause.
“I wanted to tell you about the amazing work we did as a school this year. We actually set a goal for $10,000, and we were, like, we are going to do this!” Porter said. “We set a plan, we got everyone involved and not only did we hit $10,000, we hit $10,698.”
The two schools not only were the top earners in Yuma County, but were third out of the entire west valley of Phoenix and Yuma combined, Porter said.
Porter said that the goal would not have happened without the effort of Gowan Principal Jamie Haines, who received an appreciation award from
the associations.
“With our Jump program she has led the way in getting so many people excited and motivated about heart health; not only that, but spreading that message to an entire community.”
Jump Rope for Heart is in its 39th year, Porter said, but heart education remains vital to a raising a wellrounded child.
Haines accepted the award, noting that the event was a joint effort among staff, teachers, students and their families.
“It shows the generosity of our Gowan parents and students in bringing our whole school together to raise money for a very worthy cause,” she said. “It makes me very proud as their principal and to be able to lead them through something like this so that they can see where the money is going and also learn about heart, health which is incredibly important.”