Hoops for Heart at Heritage Lake Elementary

The Brittany Valene Hoops for Heart kickoff assembly was held recently at District 93's Heritage Lakes Elementary School in Carol Stream as students prepared to raise money for American Heart Association research.

The assembly began with those in attendance recognizing the parents of Brittany Valene, the event's namesake and Heritage Lakes alum who succumbed to congenital heart failure.

After this touching salute, PE teacher and event organizer/emcee Bari Flores discussed the importance of donation contributions to advancing heart research. The donations will be raised by students throughout the month of January and into the first weeks of February, culminating with all students participating in heart-healthy jump rope and basketball stations Feb. 9-11 during their regular PE times.

Caputos Fresh Market will also donate fresh oranges and bananas for students to eat at a healthy snack station. Staff has the opportunity to get involved as well by donating money and participating in the stations along with students.

A highlight of the assembly was Tricia Tamkin, mother of first-grader Jack, describing her husband David's battle with heart disease. She spoke of his healthy lifestyle, noting that he ate right and exercised often, but that his heart just was not well. She told the crowd that because of heart knowledge gained from research and by cutting sodium from his diet, her husband was able to live an extra two years, and that with continued research and proper diet, maybe students and their loved ones would not have to go through what Tricia, Jack, and David did.

Tricia will be happy to know that Jack and all other Heritage Lakes students will be given a chance to learn about circulatory system and heart health during PE leading up to the Hoops for Heart event. They will all contribute to event decorations, as well. In addition, grades 2 to 5 will discuss the dangers of smoking cigarettes.

Over the event's nine years, Heritage Lakes has raised approximately $125,000 for the AHA and is consistently a top five fund-raiser in Illinois and top 25 in the country.

“[This is] quite a testament to the tradition we have built and the incredible outpouring of support from the community,” Flores said.