Winsor Hill students raise $5K through Kids Heart Challenge

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Johnston’s Winsor Hill Elementary School, which has been known in recent years for its countless innovative programs, produced another heartwarming story last week.

For a combined total of nearly a dozen hours over three days, Winsor Hill School students participated in the annual Kids Heart Challenge that annually benefits the American Heart Association, reeling in more than $5,000.

Susan Parillo, Winsor Hill’s health and physical education teacher who doubles as the head coach of Johnston High School’s national champion-caliber cheerleading program, and speech pathologist Deb Paris helped make the effort possible.

During back-to-back session on Tuesday through Thursday, Winsor Hill classes filed into the school gymnasium and participated into a number of exercises that included wall climbing.

“The goal of our Kids Heart Challenge is to teach students how to build healthier lives free from cardiovascular disease and stroke,” Parillo said. “This is a wonderful community service opportunity designed to help students learn about the importance of making healthy choices to take care of their hearts.”

Thus, the Kids Heart Challenge goal of raising $4,000 – which was accepted by Winsor Hill’s first-year Principal Matthew Yates and behavioral specialist Matthew Velino – was, as Parillo said with excitement ringing in her voice, “blown out of the water.”

“Our efforts truly make a different and helps save lives,” Parillo said.

And that extraordinary effort, as Parillo said while talking with Paris and Yates, “will be highlighted by an event coordinated by Mr. Velino that will let students who brought in the highest donations to smash pies in their faces and will surely be enthusiastically enjoyed by the students and staff at our great school.”

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