Lincoln jumps rope for heart

The JOURNAL

    Lincoln Elementary students got plenty of exercise Monday. The kids participated in ?Jump Rope for Heart? and ?Hoops for Heart,? which are fundraisers for the American Heart Association.

    The fourth and fifth graders traveled to the high school in the morning to use that building?s gymnasium. There, they jumped rope both individually and in teams of three people with a longer rope.

    The sixth graders went to the Washington Community Y in the afternoon. They exercised by shooting hoops, swimming laps and also jumping rope. In addition to the exercising, the kids got some treats as part of their Valentine?s Day party.

    Tim Balvanz, who teaches physical education at Lincoln, is in charge of the ?Heart? fundraisers. 

    ?The kids go out and get pledges and donations, and we also have the exercise part,? he said.

    He said the kids do not compete to see who can jump rope the longest or any such thing. He said there is no competitive angle to the jumping.

    ?It?s just exercise,? he said.

    Stewart Elementary once participated in Jump Rope for Heart, when Balvanz worked there.

    ?Then when I moved to Lincoln, Jump Rope for Heart moved with me,? he said. 

    Balvanz said he really likes Jump Rope for Heart because it is a good cause.

    ?I like the idea of the American Heart Association,? he said. ?They use the money mostly for research and education. They spend a lower amount on administrative costs than other charities. You can have too many fundraisers. Every time we turn around there?s a fundraiser, but this is a good one.?

    Last year, Lincoln elementary students raised $4,400,? said Balvanz. ?About $1,000 of that goes to prizes, such as jump ropes, footballs, basketballs, gloves, and a Wii Fit package. We have a drawing for kids who brought in over $150. These are things they can use and be active with. That left us $2,000 for the school.?

    Every year the school does Jump Rope for Heart, the AHA sends Balvanz 10 jump ropes.

    ?They pile up over time,? he said. ?I probably have 120 of these jump ropes. The sixth grade used to have a Valentine?s Day party all the time. I brought this idea up: how about a Valentine?s Day party with a purpose? And what do you think of Valentine?s Day? Your heart.?

    In the last couple of years, the fundraiser has expanded from a fundraiser for the American Heart Association to one for Lincoln School itself.

    ?The first $1,000 and possibly more depending on how much we make goes to the American Heart Association,? he said. ?This is, No. 1, a fund-raiser for the American Heart Association, and No. 2, what is left over is used at Lincoln in the ?phys-ed? department.?

For the full story, see the Feb. 15 edition of The Washington Evening Journal