Students Jump And Shop For Charity

WHEELING -- Students at Elm Grove Elementary certainly like to jump rope, and they also enjoy shopping and appreciate good deals -- even the youngest students.

Those passions were put to use in late January and early February to raise $2,400 for the American Heart Association through a jump rope event. Then an additional $1,500 to benefit activities at the Good Shepherd Nursing Home came in through a Valentine's Day-related store set up during recess at Elm Grove Elementary..

Back in October, the students also collected $950 for Breast Cancer Awareness Month that was given to the American Cancer Society.

Principal Richard Dunlevy said there is much generosity in the Elm Grove community.

"We're a Title 1 school, but we always tend to raise great amounts of money for the community," he said. "They go all out. It's amazing what the students do."

Physical education and wellness teacher Shaun Black organized a jump rope program that took place Jan. 31 through Feb. 11.

"Our goal was to be physically active and get their heart rates up," he explained. "We also learned how to live a healthy lifestyle, and talked about mental health.

"Then we talked about raising money and donating to the American Heart Association."

The students asked family and friends to contribute, and they jumped rope in return. There were stations set up at which they learned different skills.

"Jump roping is one of the hardest things we teach, but they really push themselves," Black said. "As a physical education teacher, we really like to get them as sweaty as possible."

The students "do their best" at wanting to be healthy, he added.

"They are at such a young age, it's hard right now," Black said. "But you try to promote it as hard as you can so when they are older they make the best decisions on their own."

Daltan Friend, a fourth grade student at the school, raised $500 during the jump rope event. He solicited family members for donations, including his mother Brittany Ward -- a teacher at Elm Grove Elementary.

"I have a big family," he said.

Friend explained he was inspired to raise money for the American Heart Association by the health issues of his grandfather Ben Gooden and his grandmother Christie Ward -- both of whom have suffered two heart attacks.

School counselor Heather Hines said each of the last three years the fifth grade and sixth grade student councils have set up a Valentine's Day store at the school. She obtains small, low-cost items from such places at the Dollar Store to stock the store, and students purchase items during recess.

Many of the items this year were spa-related items intended for Mom, such as bath bombs. There were also Valentine's Day toys the students could purchase for friends or keep for themselves.

The Valentine's store proved so popular this year that it first sold out before all students had the opportunity to purchase items, and Hines said she had to go back to the Dollar Store that evening to restock for the next day. It got to the point where organizers had to place a limit on how many items the students could purchase.

At least one parent gave their child a $20 bill for the store, but asked that the student only be permitted to purchase a few items and that the school keep the remainder as a donation, she said. More than double the amount of money was raised this year through the Valentine's store, according to Hines.

The members of the fifth and sixth grade councils voted and selected the Good Shepherd Nursing Home as the beneficiary of this year's Valentine's store profits.

Morgan Murphy, assistant administrator at the Good Shepherd Nursing Home, was invited to the school Tuesday to pick up the $1,500 directed to the facility.

"This means a lot to our residents," she told the council members. "It was a surprise to us, and very thoughtful."

Murphy said the money would be put toward activities and entertainment for Good Shepherd residents.

She was accompanied by Janet Boyle, who provides public relations assistance for the nursing home.

"It is so great these students are learning to give," Boyle said.