THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 18, 1996 TAG: 9602160158
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
When it comes to jumping for a good cause you can't beat the efforts of the teachers and students of Great Bridge Middle School North.
A few weeks ago, the school's physical education teachers - Sherry Handfinger, Joycelyn Brock, Christina Blanchard and JoPaige Palmer - organized the school's third annual Jump Rope for Heart.
To raise money for the sponsoring Tidewater Council of the American Heart Association, the fund-raiser had students register before the event's date. Each young participant then had to go out and recruit sponsors from the neighborhood to donate money. On the day of the event, each jumper showed up with jump rope in hand and the pledged cash donations in the other.
It was a success.
This year's effort featured the participation of 210 Great Bridge Middle School North sixth- and seventh-graders, who earned a whopping $$5,260.55.
Quite a jump over the last two years.
Last year jumpers raised $3,500 and the event's first effort netted about $1,000.
``This is becoming a very popular event,'' Handfinger said. ``It's growing each year. Last year we had a little over 150 kids participate, and our first year we had much fewer than that. It grew because the kids has such a good time last year and the year before last. They were excited about the incentive prizes, and it's just fun to stay back at school with friends when classes are over.''
Lydia McBeth, a sixth-grader, won the event's top prize of a pullover jacket for bringing in $531 to the Heart Fund.
All of the kids were treated to pizzas courtesy of Andrea's, Pizza Hut Carry-Out of Great Bridge, the Great Bridge Pizza Hut restaurant, Mr. Jim's Subs, Domino's Pizza, Chesapeake Pizza, Little Caesar's Pizza and Papa John's Pizza. The Great Bridge Farm Fresh donated 36 liters of sodas, and food/video coupons were donated by Burger King, the Great Bridge McDonald's, Dairy Queen, Chick-Fil-A, Wendy's, Zero's, Pollard's Chicken, Nestle's candies, Take One Videos, Video Express and Sport Time.
Handfinger said the Heart Association sponsors these jump rope events at schools in order to raise funds for medical research and educational programs and as an awareness to students on the benefits of exercise.
On the day of the jump, more than 200 youngsters filled up the school's gym and jumped in 35 teams of six kids per team from 12:30 until 2:45 p.m.
``They all enjoyed it, the kids and the parent volunteers,'' Handfinger said. ``There was lots of high energy music and high energy jumping.''
There's a run on crab cakes and chicken salad sandwiches in Great Bridge, according to Merryl Gallahar, assistant manager of Taste Unlimited.
The gourmet food store opened for business last November and ever since, management has been scrambling to keep their homemade crab cakes and chicken salad in stock.
``Every store has its popular favorites,'' said Gallahar. ``Usually it's turkey or roast beef. We were pretty surprised to find out Great Bridge people were so enthusiastic over crab cakes.''
Gallahar attributes the popularity of the two dishes to word of mouth.
``In Great Bridge, people talk with each other. Everyone knows each other and if they try something and like it, they spread the news. Other areas don't have that network so much,'' she said.
- Jennifer O'Donnell and Eric Feber by CNB