Peggy Lane

For more information, contact Peggy Lane, American Heart Association district leader, at (254) 299-0880.

"We are glad to have another school participating," said Peggy Lane, regional director for the American Heart Association."Bell County is one of our most active areas."

Jump Rope for Heart is a national education program that strives to improve the physical and mental health of elementary school students, along with teaching them about heart disease.

Sponsored by the American Heart Association and the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, the program includes a two-week educational session where children learn about things such as high cholesterol, risk factors for heart disease and proper nutrition and exercise.

The AHA has trained 11 Search Your Heart coordinators in Waco, said Peggy Lane, corporate marketing director.

"It's a beautiful program.It's doing well in cities all over the United States," she said."It's tried and true."

Among African-Americans, an estimated 46 percent of men and 47 percent of women age 20 and older have high cholesterol levels, according to AHA statistics.About 35 percent of men and 34 percent of women from ages 20 to 74 have high blood pressure.With that in mind, the AHA is going straight to the dinner table to improve those statistics.

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"The risk is higher because of their diet," Lane said."Heart disease is preventable.The only part of it that is not preventable is your genetics, but you can decrease your risk by over 50 percent by increasing your physical activity and changing your diet."

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ROCKIN' HEART RANCH

All proceeds from the event stay in McLennan County and go toward research and programs to help prevent heart disease, said Peggy Lane, the AHA's corporate marketing director in Waco.
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In McLennan County, AHA representatives visit schools and work with physical education teachers, nurses and principals to distribute age-appropriate educational kits on tobacco and nutrition, Lane said.Donations also help pay for training CPR instructors, who offer classes at local high schools.

"Our impact goal is to reduce risk, disability and death by 25 percent by the year 2010, and that's an audacious goal," Lane said.
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"What a difference that could make in saving lives," Lane said.