For the past decade, many Gwinnett County elementary schools across the district have celebrated the completion of a Kids Heart Challenge by the American Heart Association. This year, challenge coach Chad Reed’s team from Grayson Elementary School was the number one fundraising team in the county for the first time, raising a total of $15,359.00. As a result of exceeding their 2021-22 goal, students had an opportunity to “slime” Mr. Reed. Grayson Elementary School took the spot from Duncan Creek Elementary School, previously recognized as top fundraiser for three years in a row.

The Kids Heart Challenge focuses on whole body wellness, helping students improve their own health and better their character while raising life-saving donations for the American Heart Association to help kids facing heart-health issues. The challenge also prepares kids for success by supporting their physical and mental well-being. To do so, the American Heart Association has pulled together step-by-step instructions for physical education instructors, coaches, or teachers referred to as “challenge coaches” to host fun activities in the schools with engaging educational modules that teach students heart-healthy lessons.

The Top 10 challenge coaches from Gwinnett County Public Schools will receive a plaque from the American Heart Association in the fall of 2023 to celebrate their accomplishment and to mark the beginning of the new challenge year. Many schools start their Kids Heart Challenges as early as October every year, with the majority signing up in February during Heart Month. The schools that sign up encourage their students to take on a free heart healthy challenge online via their school’s Kids Heart Challenge page with the American Heart Association.  The challenges incentivize children to move more or be kind. Once the challenge has been set, the entire school will work with their challenge coach to meet the established fundraising and heart challenge goals.

As students and their families register for the challenge, they gain access to resources like hands-only CPR, and educational material on the warning signs of a stroke, to name a few. Each student will also receive a free wristband as a sign of commitment to their chosen challenge for their health. 

The students are also introduced to new “Heart Hero Characters” every year. These characters have heart-healthy messages that students are encouraged to make a part of their daily lives. As students receive donations, they receive these special heart heroes to help save lives. For more information on the Kids Heart Challenge, click here.

For more photos, click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/161-lV4k9ZYDEX8N9J72BugnsdWKskfjU?usp=share_link

Image above:  “Chad Slime 2022”, Chad Reed from Grayson Elementary School covered in slime, along with the Top 10 GCPS Donations.