Double dutch, anyone?
About 500 PS 197 students got to skip class to skip rope and raise money for the American Heart Association on Feb. 11 and 12. But the Midwood school’s Jump Rope for Heart Event didn’t just help out the heart-disease prone – students got a leg up on leading healthier lives too, an organizer said.
“The kids get to exercise and stay in shape and just have an all-around fun time,” said physical education teacher Marc Goldstone.
Kids donated a minimum $5 to get into the gym for a morning of cardio and fun. The school’s goal this year was simply to beat last year’s fund-raising total of $5,800 — but educators are still counting up to proceeds, Goldstone said.
The younger kids — pre-K through second grade — took over the gym on Thursday and worked their way around a hula-hoop obstacle course and down a faux ski slope made with jump ropes taped to the floor.
The older kids — third through fifth grade — got their turn to jump around on Friday, but the special part of the morning was a visit from two local-athlete stars — Jahsen Wint, an Erasmus Hall senior who signed to play football with Ohio State University, and Kayode Ayeni, a St. Francis College graduate who now plays basketball internationally.
“They signed autographs, did tricks, and talked to the kids about doing well in school and always striving to do your best and never giving up,” Goldstone said.
