The 3rd annual Healthy Hearts Day was held on Thursday, May 26, 2011 at Ashbrook Elementary School in Lumberton, NJ.  This year’s program featured a visit by two exercise physiologists, Eddie and Lori, from Virtua Hospital’s Cardiac Rehab Department who worked in conjunction with Ashbrook’s principal and gym teacher to develop a program that targeted areas of health that the chilren are already learning about.  The 3rd graders had a great time and it was encouraging to see how much they have learned and how much knowledge they have retained about how to live a healthy lifestyle.

SMT sponsored a program at Florence L. Walther Elementary School and Ashbrook Elementary School, both in Lumberton, NJ on May 25.  Joyce Haag, a nurse and Eddie Gardner, an exercise physiologist from Virtua Hospital’s Cardiac Rehab Department visited the children at FLW  and AES and talked to them about ways to maintain a healthy heart as they grow.  They had volunteers crawl through a clear tunnel showing what a clean artery looks like.  Then, they had other volunteers crawl through a tunnel filled with foam to demonstrate how difficult it is for blood to pass through a clogged artery.  They also talked to the chilren about the importance of exercising and eating healthy fruits, vegetables and other types of snacks.  In addition, they talked to the children about the importance of not smoking as a way of maintaining a healthy heart.  At the end of the program, Eddie had all the children stand up and do some exercises!

Eddie and Nurse Joyce talking to the children

Eddie and Nurse Joyce working with the volunteers

The Foundation is currently in the process of beginning a program where we will send SMT volunteers to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to read to children who are presently admitted into the Cardiac Care Unit.  Contact us if you want to volunteer or to get more details as they become available.

Mrs. Deal (FLW school nurse), Mrs. Guenther (Health/Gym Teacher), Diana Yager and Nancy Keleher (Cooper Nurses) and Mrs. Horan (FLW Principal).

SMT sponsored a program at Florence L. Walther Elementary School in Lumberton, NJ on February 2 and February 9.  Two nurses from Cooper Hospital’s Cardiology Department visited the children at FLW and talked to them about ways to maintain a healthy heart as they grow.  They showed the children a diagram of a heart and talked about what the heart’s job is.  They also talked to the chilren about the importance of exercising and eating healthy fruits, vegetables and other types of snacks.  In addition, they talked to the children about the importance of not smoking as a way of maintaining a healthy heart.  One little boy got off the bus the afternoon of the program in his classroom and pronounced to his mother that he had to eat five vegetables that night for dinner!

Nancy Keleher shows Noah Taylor a diagram of a healthy heart.