JHS Hoops for Heart spreads the love

PROUD PANTHERS: JHS Student Council Advisor Greg Russo (left) share a lighter moment with Student Council officers. From left to right, Russo stands with Vice President Sarah Phengsavatdy, Vanida Singharath, Corresponding Secretary Emily Raposa and Recording Secretary Phil Jessop during Monday’s Hoops for Heart event.

(Sun Rise photos by Pete Fontaine)

HOOP HEROES: JHS girls’ state championship team members Hillary Rogers, Jordan Moretti, Bianca Robbins and Julianna Zalewski were among the students who helped make Hoops for Heart a smashing succes on Monday.

LINKED LEADERS: SADD officers Paige Grenkiewicz (secretary), Sophia Rengigas (president) and Nina Carnevale (vice president) are joined by Student Council President Vanida Singharath during Monday’s highly successful Hoops for Heart.

NOAH’S NICHE: Noah Jean Laurent performs a gentlemanly gesture, as he ties Kristen Falso’s sneaker laces during Monday’s fun-filled Hoops for Heart event at Johnston High School.

Posted Thursday, March 9, 2017 1:52 pm

Pete Fontaine

The music Pleasure Sounds Unlimited pumped into Johnston High School’s Edward L. DiSimone gym Monday morning in no way resembled the scores from the famed Broadway hit “Damn Yankees.”

However, lyrics of that award-winning musical – “You’ve gotta have heart; all you need is heart” – that was based in 1956 and had a title “The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant” were more than fitting for the Hoops for Heart event that lasted four hours Monday morning.

JHS teachers like Greg Russo, Peg Guilmette and Ellen Quantmeyer, along with a total of 115 proud Panthers showed their heart while playing games like Hot Potato, Chicken in the Hen House, The Human Knot and other events like jumping rope, volleyball and basketball.

“This is quite the hoot,” a visitor told Russo, who is the Faculty Advisor for the JHS Student Council and Students Against Dangerous Decisions (SADD) groups. “There’s certainly a high level of energy in this gym today.”

That’s because undergrads like Kyle Nelson, Nas Vasquez, Sophia Rengigas and Vanida Singharath, were celebrating a mighty milestone.

“These kids raised $2,700 for this program,” Russo said of the 2017 Hoops for Heart event that was held to help the American Heart Association raise awareness of heart health. “We are proud of what each and every student that’s here today did for an important non-profit.”

While the music continued, kids like Noah Jean Laurent said, “I don’t think there are too many high school kids anywhere who have more heart then these great students. We are all proud of the money they raised for the AHA.”

Even before baseball buddies like Dylan Lavoie, Nick Quini, Dante DeFalco, Zach Clesas, Nate Fortier, and Chris Lavallee thought about participating in Hoops for Heart, they were required to obtain donations that went directly to the Rhode Island Chapter of the AHA.

Russo said, “Our gym teachers, especially Ellen [Quantmeyer] and Peg [Guilmette] were a huge help in organizing the games. This has become an annual event and it was open to the entire student body. Hopefully next year, we’ll double the participants and donation.”