Prairie Heights students raise over $13K for the American Heart Association

LAGRANGE, Ind. (WNDU) - What’s good in Michiana?

How about a local principal being a good sport!

51 Prairie Heights Elementary School students got to spray Principal Troy Gaff with silly string on Thursday. The kids got to silly string Principal Gaff as part of their reward for achieving goals in the “Kids Heart Challenge” program by the American Heart Association.

It’s all for a good cause! The kids raised $13,000 in February to help with the Heart Challenge, where they also learned hands-only CPR.

“We have a very giving community. This is our fifth year of doing the Kids Heart Challenge, and the first year we started out, we got about $1900 dollars, and just look what it’s grown in five years’ time,” said Cheryl Hamilin, the P.E. teacher. “Each year when we set our goal, this year I talked with our representative, she said, ‘Let’s set a goal of $11,000 dollars,’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah right,’ last year we were at $8,000 dollars or something, and I thought there’s no way, and they just blew it out of the water. The kids get so excited about it, and they’re just so happy that they’re helping someone.”

The money goes to kids facing heart issues through the American Heart Association.

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