Students in Troy jump rope to raise money for heart association

Pembroke Elementary School in Troy was literally jumping on Friday morning.  It's called Jump Rope for Heart and dozens of kids got in on the act.

They jumped on trampolines and pogo sticks.  There was even criss-cross and doubles and push ups.  From the smiles on their faces, you could tell they were all in it together.

"I'm raising money to help people with heart disease," said fourth grader Katie Finkbiner.  "So it's very important for me to help because... a lot of schools don't do this very often."

This event has been taking place at Pembroke since 1996 and every year it gets bigger and better.  In fact, this year students are hoping to raise more than $5,000 for the American Heart Association.

"I like that we can just kind of hang out and skip class, and it's kind of nice that we're raising money for heart disease," said fifth grader Abbie Solotorow.

But as much as this event is about lending a helping hand, it's also about being healthy, something these kids seem to love.

"They love jumping.  They love the whole idea of it.  Our program is really based on health and wellness," said physical education teacher Debbie O'Neil.