Heart health awareness

Back row, from left, Elfinesh Wondafrash, personal care assistant; Elizabeth Andolino; Lori Bertoline; and Sean Murphy, principal of The Matheny School. Front row, from left, Matheny students India Jones, Austin Bramson, Jamil Jones and Daeon Troutman.

Lori Bertoline, regional director, youth market, for the American Heart Association, stopped by Matheny recently to thank us for raising $352 during GoRed/Heart Health month in February. “Matheny,” she said, “always goes to the limit, not only raising funds but raising awareness.”

In 2004, the American Heart Association created Go Red for Women to educate women on heart disease, help women come together to show their support and increase funding for heart disease research and treatments for those in need. Matheny’s fundraising effort was coordinated by Elizabeth Andolino, manager of the Matheny Center of Medicine and Dentistry, and Joan Ray, employee health nurse.

Hoops for Heart

Matheny student Aaron Turovlin and physical therapist Jessica Korab.

The front parking lot at Matheny was closed off and transformed into several basketball courts on Friday, April 26, as Matheny School students participated in adapted basketball games as part of a “March Madness”-type tournament to raise money for the American Heart Association.

The tournament was Matheny’s participation in the AHA’s Hoops for Heart program, designed to bring students together for a good cause. On the same day, throughout Matheny, employees were encouraged to wear red and donate $5 to help the AHA raise women’s awareness of cardiovascular disease and empower women to reduce their risks. Families and friends of Matheny students were asked to send checks to Matheny, made out to The American Heart Association.

From left, Sean Murphy, Matheny School principal; Sean Bielefeldt, Matheny director of recreation therapy; Daeon Troutman, Matheny student; Dawn Williams, Matheny teacher; Lori Bertoline, regional director, youth market, American Heart Assn.; Jim Hintenach, Matheny elementary supervisor, adapted physical education; and Kevin Long, Matheny student.

 

Matheny goes “Red”

Speech-language pathologist Brynna Cunningham assists Matheny student Yasin Reddick in a game of adapted basketball.

National Wear Red Day, to support heart health wellness among women, was February 3, but, at Matheny we celebrated healthy heart awareness all month.

Special informational tables promoted healthy eating and cholesterol control plus managing blood pressure and stress. In addition, there were tips on quitting smoking, losing weight and managing blood sugar.

Of course, on February 23, everyone was encouraged to wear red, and red dress pins were available for a $5 donation to the American Heart Association. We raised a total of $263. And Matheny students participated all day in adapted versions of Jump Rope and Hoops 4 Heart activities.