Photo provided to the Times Observer Students at Sheffield elementary raised over $1,900 as part of the American Heart Associationás Kids Heart Challenge. In the photo are the students from each class who collected the most donations, from left to right, Adalyn Ettinger (second grade), Seth Mocny (Kindergarten), Annaliese Antonuccio (first grade), Aiden Dunkle (fifth grade), Aleaha Madigan (third grade) and Myles Ettinger (fourth grade).

A group of Sheffield Area Elementary School students didn’t just participate in gym class.

It became a fundraiser.

Over $1,900 later, that physical education class merged with a good cause in the form of the Kids Heart Challenge through the American Heart Association.

“I have been doing this for six years and I am always impressed how giving the Sheffield community is, even through a pandemic, and how much the students enjoy taking part in this activity,” Caryn Ryan, a health and physical education teacher at Sheffield, explained.

The Kids Heart Challenge brings together valuable lessons about heart health with a way to raise funds for the AHA.

“Although it is incorporated into the jump rope unit at Sheffield Area Elementary, students learn there are many other ways to take care of their heart,” Ryan said.

“While learning about being heart healthy and engaging in physical activity, students were encouraged to ask family and friends for donations to help those people with cardiovascular problems,” she explained. “This teaches students the importance of being charitable.”

The total donation this year brought in $1,930.24

The students that collected the most by grade were Seth Mocny (kindergarten), Annaliese Antonuccio (first grade), Adalyn Ettinger (second grade), Aleaha Madigan (third trade), Myles Ettinger (fourth grade) and Aiden Dunkle (fifth grade).

“Students learned about the importance of staying active and eating healthy to prevent cardiovascular problems,” Ryan said.

“Along the way, students were given different challenges such as eating more fruits and vegetables, being physically active for 60 minutes or more each day, drinking more water, being kinder to others, and participating in breathing exercises to help with stress,” Ryan added.