COATESVILLE, PA - Cheers of encouragement and congratulations filled the gymnasium of the Child Development Center as students tried and succeeded in getting their ball in the basket during the school’s recent fund raiser, Hoops for Hearts. In addition, to raising their self-esteem, students also raised nearly $1,500 for the American Heart Association.
“It is for a great cause and the kids really enjoy participating,” said CDC physical education teacher Rusty Smith. “It helps teach the students to be successful, exhibit sportsmanship skills and gain a sense of camaraderie all at the same time.”
Smith started the Hoops for Heart program at CDC five years ago. Hoops For Heart is a national fund raising program sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) that supports heart and stroke research. The program also promotes basketball skills and physical fitness, while encouraging the value of community service among school-age students. Students raise money by asking friends and family for donations.
“For the past five years, the students have been bringing in roughly $1,500 per year. When you think about it, that makes the total for the five years around $7,500,” said Smith. “That’s a nice amount of money. These kids never cease to amaze me with what they can do.”
The eagerness in the students’ eyes to get started is obvious as Smith explains the Hoops for Heart activities to students getting ready to go onto the gym floor and shoot some baskets.
“The students come in for a half hour at a time, and classes are rotated throughout the day,” said Smith. “We had great participation from all our classes this year, and several classes, such as Jill Pyle’s and Ms. Bahel’s can boast 100% student participation.”
Although everyone’s participation this year was exemplary, according to Smith, one student really went above and beyond expectations: “Our number one fundraiser for this year was Katherine Johnson,” said Smith. “Katherine was able to bring in $545 and the largest single donation we have ever had.”
Proudly displaying her Hoops For Heart t-shirt and basketball, it is obvious that Johnson could not be more excited to be the “big winner.” More importantly, she is confident that she can raise even more money next year. With the zeal she exhibited for the program this year, there’s little doubt that she will achieve this and any other goal she sets out to accomplish.
According to Smith, the success of Hoops for Heart is due to both individual contributions such as Katherine Johnson’s as well as the teamwork necessary to coordinate an event such as this.
“Much thanks goes to the administration, faculty, parents, and anyone else who is involved with the students, for coming together to help them work for this cause,” said Smith. “The administration and faculty at CDC have been very cooperative, allowing for gym classes to be canceled in order for the students to participate, and parents are such a big help with bringing in the donations.”
The American Heart Association also provides a great deal of support and cooperation in running the program, said Smith. For example, the American Heart Association is makes sure that the students at the CDC are getting the most out of their Hoops For Heart experience.
“Because of her disabilities, Katherine can’t use some of the prizes she is eligible for as a top fund raiser,” said Smith. “Therefore, the Heart Association is working on putting together a basket of prizes consisting of items she can use and enjoy.”
The Child Development Center (CDC) is a comprehensive school that serves students aged five to 21 years old with disabilities. It is jointly owned by the 12 school districts of Chester County and operated on their behalf by the Chester County Intermediate Unit. The CDC offers a full array of programs to meet the needs of students with severe disabilities including: autism support, learning support, emotional support, mentally challenged, and multiple and physically challenged.
For more information on the Child Development Center, please visit the school's website, or call 610-383-7400.
