When it was first conceived in 1981, “Jump Rope for Heart” was supposed to last only three years.
In that first year, the response from schools was quite good, with 125,000 parents, teachers, and students taking part.
With more than $1 million raised that year, the program looked like it might outlive its three-year trial period.
In 1983, the program officially became a national event, with thousands of students taking part. From that point, “Jump Rope for Heart” spread to every corner of Canada.
By 1989, organizers knew this fundraising program was going to last for a long time.
Last year, more that $15 million was raised for the Heart and Stroke Foundation by student taking part in the program.
“Jump Rope for Heart” began as a way for kids to raise money for a worthwhile cause, but it quickly became something more than that.
Even during its first year, teachers saw the program could be expanded into an activity kids could use throughout the year to get fit while having fun. By forming skipping teams, teachers got their students involved in a year-round fitness program.
Davis Gerrie was one of the first teachers in Thunder Bay to co-ordinate a “Jump Rope for Heart” event.
He wanted his students to help raise money to fight heart disease, but also saw it as a way to get his class excited about physical activity.
Gerrie quickly found there were other benefits to skipping rope.
“There was always a significant group of kids on the team who weren’t the star athletes at school,” he noted. “This gave them the opportunity to do a physical activity and be very good at it.
“They were admired for what they could do and they’d never had that opportunity in school before,” Gerrie added. “So this was a tremendous confidence booster.”
As one teacher in a southern Ontario school put it, “Skipping is fun. Kids want to see how fast they can go, how many times they can go without tripping.
“They play together, they co-operate, and they compete—all things kids like to do.”
Skipping rope is a fantastic cardiovascular activity that helps build co-ordination and agility. It’s a great activity whether you’re six or 60, and is used to train all kinds of amateur and professional athletes.
Besides helping kids and raising money to fight heart disease, “Jump Rope for Heart” also gives back to the schools.
Through a corporate sponsorship program, the schools receive points for the amount of money raised. These points then can be redeemed by the school for a variety of school-related items, such as sporting goods and electronic equipment.
Each individual jumper also receives rewards, such as water bottles and skipping ropes.
This year, in honour of the 25th anniversary of “Jump Rope for Heart,” one lucky school will win 25,000 “HeartSmart” points while one lucky individual will win a family trip for four to Disney World.
Today, “Jump Rope for Heart” is one of the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s biggest events across Canada, involving more than 4,000 schools and 600,000 students.
It is an annual event that students, teachers, and parents look forward to every year!
The theme of this year’s 25th anniversary is “Jumping for the Ones We Love.”
The theme “will get kids thinking about their hearts and the hearts of those they love, and teach them to how to keep their hearts healthy and strong.
“Kids will feel empowered to make a difference in the lives of those the love—and feel like heroes in their family and community.”
Here in Rainy River District, Donald Young, J.W. Walker, Huffman, Robert Moore, and North Star schools are holding “Jump Rope for Heart” events in the coming weeks.
Students from these schools will be seeking pledges from the public in order to raise money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
In the last 25 years, the program has taught millions of kids the value of staying healthy and the joy of helping others.
“‘Jump Rope for Heart’ is a vital Heart and Stroke Foundation program.
“In addition to raising funds to support critical heart disease and stroke research and health education, JUMP activities [help] our kids to embrace a lifetime of healthy living and social responsibility.”
