Letters to the editor...JUMP schools thanked for participation

Dear editor, February is Heart Month. Numerous schools in Halton Hills will be participating in the Heart and Stroke Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Hearts programs. Jump Rope for Heart (JUMP) is a contagious fundraising program that gets kids active and promotes the health of Canadian children. JUMP activates kids to embrace a lifetime of healthy living and social responsibility by skipping and raising money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. And, when they do, they'll be helping reverse today's trend towards childhood obesity and inactivity. With millions of Canadians living with some form of heart disease, there are few people whose lives are not touched by this terrible disease. And now, with childhood obesity threatening more families, it's critical we focus on the health of our hearts. This year JUMP is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In the last 25 years JUMP has taught millions of kids the value of staying healthy and giving back. Community support has enabled us to continue vital research leading to ground-breaking achievements such as: · Preventing blue babies by developing a procedure enabling surgeons worldwide to repair switched heart vessels, giving their tiny patients a chance at a full active life. · Better control of cardiac arrhythmias, a common cause of sudden death in seemingly healthy young individuals by discovering a gene that controls the heart's electrical patterns. The Heart and Stroke Foundation is pleased to announce more than 1,200 students across Halton Hills will be participating in the Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart programs during February. We would like to thank all schools participating, Centennial Middle School and Robert Little Public School. Stephanie Kuczerepa, Peel chapter, Heart and Stroke Foundation