It would probably be hard to find a Canadian who hasn’t skipped rope at one time or another. It is an age old activity that brings to mind school time fun with friends and it doesn’t cost a lot to get started. What many children often don’t think of when they are bouncing through the air to the rhythm of a colourful skipping rope is the health benefits of something so fun.
Becoming a Heart Hero is easy with the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation and is encouraged through their Jump Rope for Heart Program. Their program fit in perfectly with the local chapter of Sparks and Brownies who strive to fulfill some of their badge requirements by helping others. Jump Rope for Heart is a program that encourages kids to be physically active. Sparks leader Mikki-Lee Ransome chose the program for her unit because “It’ wasn’t just about fundraising. The Heart and Stroke Foundation really encourage the next generation to be heart healthy.”
“We are teaching them to contribute to their community and our world,” Ransome continued, “and that they can make a difference. The Heart and Stroke fundraiser was the perfect fit. The kids love skipping and do a lot of it. They are pretty good little skippers.”
“What we liked the most about Heart and Stroke was that the emphasis was not on raising money, but on teaching the kids to be heart healthy,” Ransome said. “It is about exercise and making healthy choices eating food. We all had a lot of fun and at the end of the day we raised quite an impressive amount of money.”
The two units raised just under $2000 through their efforts. The thirteen Sparks and eleven Brownies jumped rope for an hour. Their efforts will help them secure their “fit and active badge” and their “healthy living badge.” Some of the Sparks and Brownies signed up online through the Heart and Stroke website so that it was easy for people to donate to their cause while others went out and found some willing donors. “The kids did great with really good support from their parents,” Ransome concluded. “Heart and Stroke provided some cool prizes and everybody just had a really good time doing this.”