The Duneland School Corporation was honored as a District Champion this past school year for participating in the Jump/Hoops for Heart program. Collectively, the Corporation raised over $37,000 for the American Heart Association (AHA).
Recently, Superintendent Dr. David L. Pruis, accepted a plaque on behalf of the Duneland Schools for its participation as a District Champ of the AHA program. Pruis encouraged the schools to participate in this program and to encourage others to participate and to help raise awareness for heart healthy lifestyles.
The elementary schools participated in the Jump Rope for Heart program, intermediate and the middle school in the Hoops for Heart program and Chesterton High School in the Red Out event. Leading each of the Duneland Schools in their efforts were teacher representatives: Katie Masi of Bailly, Elissa Ellis of Brummitt, Alice Estill of Jackson; Bob Nemtuda of Liberty and Connie Hamilton of Yost, Nick Bamber of LIS, Nicole Wilson of WIS, Stan Rettew of Chesterton Middle and Jessica Nygra of Chesterton High School.
The top collectors for their participation in the Hoops for Heart this past school year were Westchester Intermediate (WIS) and Liberty Intermediate (LIS). WIS ranked third in the state of Indiana with a total collection of $7,524.17 and LIS fifth in the state with a total collection of $6,625.17.
Heart disease touches adults and students and can strike at any time. Indiana’s mission is to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke. The majority of the donations save lives by funding public health education and research. New research studies funded in the past five years has not only benefitted us nationwide, but locally through programs at Ball State University; Indiana University at Bloomington and Indianapolis; Purdue University in West Lafayette and University of Notre Dame, South Bend. A sum of 65 studies totaling $7,482,640 in the past five years.