Carleton Place, Ont. school is top fundraiser in Canada for 'Jump Rope for Heart'
St. Gregory's Catholic Elementary School in Carleton Place, Ont. is the top fundraising school in Canada for the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Jump Rope for Heart campaign this year.
Ending this coming Friday, St. Gregory has raised more than $23,000 in the past month for Heart and Stroke.
"That is incredible," says Stephanie Brownlee, a Grade 2 teacher at St. Gregory and the school's organizer of Jump Rope for Heart.
"We're so thankful to have such a generous community. We never expected that; we were just doing it for the fun of getting outside and doing some physical activity."
This year's event is the first in-person jump rope event in three years due to the pandemic, and the teacher's at this kindergarten to Grade 3 school were surprised at how well the students jumped right in.
"Some knew how to skip, some didn't know how to skip," Brownlee tells CTV News. "So we've been watching videos on learning to skip, we used hula hoops to start; we come outside and practiced every day."
A motivating factor in the school's success may be the personal connection to Heart and Stroke this year.
"I told the kids my story," says St. Gregory principal Paula Perrault, "which is that my husband had a stroke a year ago, so it's kind of personal and many of them identified who they're jumping for. Some of them are jumping for my husband Bob and some are jumping for family members, grandmas, grandpas, aunts and uncles."
"They knew that we were helping people directly," adds Brownlee. "It wasn't just, we're doing something that they couldn't see."
The school is made up of just under 500 students, all kindergarten to Grade 3, making the feat being top in the country for fundraising even more impressive.
"It's great that the kids are highlighted for what they've done and they've put in a lot of effort into learning how to jump," says Perrault. "And they've made that personal connection that they're jumping for somebody."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.
WATCH Expecting an interest rate cut in June? Don't bet on it after new jobs data
Canada's labour market rebounded in April, adding more than 90,000 jobs, a staggering number of new positions after four consecutive months of little change.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.