Students raise money to learn CPR
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on June 12, 2017 7:08 AM
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News-Argus/PHYLLIS MOORE
Mount Olive Middle School was presented with a CPR kit during an assembly Thursday morning, one of six educational kits given to middle schools in four counties for outstanding efforts participating in the "Hoops for Heart" fundraiser benefitting the American Heart Association. The kits will be used by teachers to teach students about life-saving techniques. From left, Melanie Bradshaw, health and physical education teacher, NaTale Nelson, principal and Kristen Riddle, representing the American Heart Association.
Mount Olive Middle School students' outstanding efforts to raise money for the American Heart Association netted them an prize that will help bolster their life-saving skills.
The school was presented with a CPR kit during an assembly on Thursday morning.
Kristen Riddle, youth market director for the American Heart Association, said the partnership began three years ago with Smithfield Foods.
"We quickly discovered that our mission was very much aligned," she said. "Health and wellness is at the forefront of both of our missions.
"We wanted to make a difference in the community, in particular our youth market programs that we currently work with in servicing schools, through our Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart programs."
This marks the second year that the two agencies decided to enhance efforts at middle schools, by providing them with an invaluable tool, she said -- CPR training.
Since 2014, the skills are part of the state's graduation requirement, she said.
"Every hour in the U.S., approximately 38 people will have a cardiac arrest event outside of a hospital," she told the student body. "Nine out of 10 people will not survive.
"However, if lifesaving CPR is performed quickly a victim's chance of surviving can double, even triple. The kits are portable, durable and designed to train 10 to 20 students at once, she explained. They also come with everything needed to quickly and easily teach students the skills of CPR.
Through the partnership between Smithfield Foods and the American Heart Association, six CPR in Schools kits were being given away this year, to the top six schools participating in the fundraiser "Hoops for Heart" in Cumberland, Scotland, Pender and Wayne counties.
"I'm super excited to announce that Mount Olive Middle School is one of the winners and will be receiving a life-saving CPR in Schools kit," she said. "And just as a side note, they were actually the top middle school out of all four of those counties."
The average amount brought in for the fundraiser is around $500, she said. MOM exceeded that, raising $2,500 this year.
"You guys did amazing," she told the students and staff.