American Heart Association Honors Schools And Students For Fighting Childhood Obesity

One successful each 5 American children and teens is obese; that's up 35% from 2000, arsenic terrible puerility obesity rates person astir doubled successful that time. In nickname of efforts to conflict backmost locally to create healthier classrooms and communities, nan American Heart Association, a relentless unit changing nan early of wellness for everyone everywhere, has honored 9 students, schools and educators from crossed nan state during a virtual awards ceremonial connected Nov. 20.

The ceremonial - held annually to admit outstanding participants successful nan Association's nationwide in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™ - was attended by volunteers and students from crossed nan United States and celebrated apical individuals and schools for their contributions to advancing nan Association's lifesaving work.

Alarming wellness trends for illustration rising puerility obesity are challenges we tin activity to flooded together, and we are proud to grant those who are doing conscionable that. These students, educators and schools aren't conscionable raising captious funds; they're inspiring healthier habits and creating lasting alteration successful their communities."

Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, unpaid president of nan American Heart Association and elder vice president of women's wellness and executive head of nan Katz Institute for Women's Health of Northwell Health, New York City

Award recipients participated successful either Kids Heart Challenge aliases American Heart Challenge during nan 2024-25 schoolhouse twelvemonth and were nominated by Association staff.

The 2025 honorees are:

1. Superintendent of nan Year: Dr. Nicole Wesley – Redondo Beach Unified School District (Redondo Beach, California)
2. Outstanding American Heart Challenge Volunteer of nan Year: Rob Dorsett – Perryville High School (Perryville, Maryland
3. Heart-Healthy School Award: Zachary Barrows - Summerlake Elementary (Winter Garden, Florida)
4. Outstanding Kids Heart Challenge Volunteer of nan Year: Marline Price - Parkview Baptist (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
5. Open-Door Award: Natalie Wheeler - Community School District 22-New York City (New York City)
6. Outstanding Team of nan Year: Jon Curtis and Amy Wolske - Greenfield Elementary (Baldwin, Wisconsin) 
7. Principal of nan Year: Kacey Chong – Southern Highlands Preparatory School (Las Vegas, Nevada) 
8. Specialist/Nurse of nan Year: Melissa Smith – Texas Region 16 (Amarillo, Texas)
9. Young Heart Leadership Award: Riley Jimenez – Tuloso Midway Intermediate School (Corpus Christi, Texas)

The Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge are grounded successful subject and designed to amended beingness and affectional well-being, support world occurrence and thief students consciousness assured successful their expertise to make a difference. Reaching much than 10 cardinal students successful astir 20,000 U.S. schools each year, participants and their families study really to eat smart, negociate stress, debar baccy and vaping, admit informing signs of a bosom onslaught and changeable and more. Students are besides introduced to Hands-Only CPR, a lifesaving accomplishment that school-aged children tin study and, by property 12, efficaciously usage if they witnesser a abrupt cardiac arrest.

Learn much astir nan Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge and really to get progressive at heart.org/jointhechallenge.