Teague Park’s Jackson has a big heart for charity

CARIBOU, Maine — Teague Park Elementary students participated in Jump Rope For Heart, a national educational fund-raising program that is sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, on April 17. Each classroom at the elementary school fund-raised for the American Heart Association, accumulating a donation that exceeded over $7,700.    Third grader Corey Guerrette was the top fund-raiser in the school, collecting $261 for the American Heart Association, and Miss Savage’s third grade class was the top fund-raising class, bringing in $1,160. Miss Savage’s class members were asked to sign the 2009 Jump Rope For Heart flag, which will be on display in their classroom before being moved into the gymnasium with flags of past years.
“I know that in the six years that I’ve been here, we’ve raised more than $40,000 for the American Heart Association,” said physical education teacher  Steve Austin. “Our goal this year was to raise $5,000, and we raised at least $7,000.”
The educational fund-raising program included four weeks of jump rope during physical education class, poster-making during art class, educational information for the students regarding healthy habits such as eating right and not smoking, and an honor wall containing names of friends and relatives of the students who have been affected by heart disease.
“The original deal was that if [the students] raised $5,000, five teachers would have to kiss a pig,” Austin told the elementary students during an assembly in the gymnasium. Unfortunately, and to much disappointment of the students, Austin was unable to locate a pig.
Disappointment turned to cheers when students saw Gilbert, the sheep, walk through the gymnasium doors and walk to the front of the room with his handler, Jeff Svoboda. The teachers names were drawn randomly out of a container and one by one, five Teague Park Elementary staff members walked to the front of the gymnasium and planted a kiss on what looked to be a very confused and very large sheep.
Each student that participated received a thank you from the American Heart Association, and an extra 60 incentive prizes were distributed among the students.
Third grade student Megan Dube and fourth grade student Brandon Philbrick were the proud recipients of brand new bikes.