St. Joseph, Mo. — Missouri Western State University will host students from 14 elementary schools participating in Jump Rope for Heart from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11 in the M.O. Looney arena.

Students will jump rope to raise funds for the American Heart Association, which funds cardiovascular disease research and public and professional education programs. They will also learn about building a healthy lifestyle.

Funding from events such as Jump Rope For Heart have led to many lifesaving discoveries such as CPR, AEDs, pacemakers, bypass surgeries, open heart surgeries, artificial heart valves, miscosurgery and life-extending drug treatments.

The average heart beats 100,000 times each day. One of the best ways to take care of your heart is to make exercise a regular part of your everyday life. Western said Jump Rope For Heart teaches students how exercise benefits the heart and shows students that volunteering can be fun and beneficial to the whole community. They learn how they can make a difference by providing important community service and having a great time at this fun-filled family event.