Every school in the Hazelwood School District is taking part in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) annual Wear Red Day® on Friday, February 3. Julie Hederman, youth market director for the AHA, said HSD “is one of two metro school districts going red entirely” that day. February is also American Heart Month.
Staff members will receive information about heart-healthy tips, including know your heart numbers and AHA heart disease prevention sheets. Many schools will allow staff members who donated nominal amounts of money to wear red shirts and jeans to school on February 3. Some staff members ordered Wear Red T-shirts to wear that day. Students are encouraged to wear red clothes to school. School lunches will go red too, with a menu consisting of spaghetti as a side order, red fruited gelatin, stuffed tomatoes, apples, juice and at the elementary and middle schools, stuffed crust pizza.
Third grade students at McNair Elementary School recorded a healthy heart jingle, “It Takes Heart to be a Hero.” The District’s Wellness Committee will judge all video and jingle entries and the winners will be posted on the District’s website. At Hazelwood Central High School, after a staff member makes a donation, the nurses will write the donor’s name on a red AHA heart and affix it to the clinic window.
Events such as these are linked to the following HSD Values – “We will place the education and well-being of each student above all other considerations.” and “We will form partnerships with parents and community members to ensure the success of each student.”
In addition, there are other heart-related activities happening during February and beyond. Basketball teams in the Hazelwood School District are participating in Red Out/Slam Dunk Heart Disease events to promote heart health and awareness through the AHA. The games are scheduled to coincide with the mission of the AHA and American Heart Month. A banner from the organization will be displayed at the games.
On February 4, the Hazelwood Central High School Shoot-Out will include four basketball games between public and private schools. The tourney begins at 12:00 p.m. with Parkway South versus DeSmet Jesuit; the 1:30 p.m. game features Vianney vs. Washington; Maplewood Richmond Heights faces Whitfield at 3:00 p.m.; the final game starts at 4:30 p.m. with Cardinal Ritter versus Hazelwood Central. Each player will wear red Nike socks, portions of both concession sales and entry fees will be donated to the AHA, and donation canisters will be set out for each team. During half-time of the final game, a check will be presented to the organization. Game tickets are $5.
On February 10, the varsity girls at Hazelwood West High School will face Pattonville High School at 6:30 p.m. at HWHS. The school will host T-shirt sales, $1 of each ticket sold will be contributed to an AHA fund and the cheerleaders will perform routines. Game tickets are $4. In addition, HSD schools will sponsor two AHA activities in February - Jump Rope for Heart, where students jump rope individually and in small groups after school, and Hoops for Heart, where students play basketball during lunch or after school activities to raise money for AHA.
On May 19, the District will again partner with the AHA for the Heart Walk.