St. James raises $5k for American Heart Association

WASHINGTON — St. James Elementary earlier this month succeeded in raising $5,000 for the American Heart Association in its “Kids Heart Challenge,” a fundraiser formerly known as “Jump Rope For Heart.”

The organization uses the money for heart disease research, and to help schools purchase P.E. equipment and keep kids active. Kids Heart Challenge School Event Director Sydney Yanecek said St. James’ contribution blew past its initial $3,000 goal, and was quite considerable given the private school’s small size.

“A school their size usually raises around $2,000,” Yanecek said. “But every school’s different … they do a great job, and this is only their second year doing it.”

Staff at St. James said they offered a handful of incentives to students, including flashy prizes like a bike or scooter for students who gathered the most donations, and the promise that young ones could pie P.E. Teacher Brent Van Weelden if they passed a $3,000 fundraising threshold.

They managed to do so just under the wire, with an outpouring of donations in the last day and a half more than doubling the school’s total.

“On Tuesday, we were only a week into it, and I think we had raised, at that point, when I looked, around $1,700, and I really thought I was safe, as long as not getting a pie in the face,” Van Weelden said. “And I made the mistake of saying, ‘Well, it looks like I’m not going to get the pie in the face,’ and in the next not-even 48 hours, now they’re well over $4,000.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com