INDIANAPOLIS — The Shamrock Springs Elementary School’s annual Kid’s Heart Challenge is bringing the school together.
The annual fundraising challenge is put on by the American Heart Association and lasts nearly three months.
Students are given the opportunity to raise money and learn how to maintain a healthy heart.
The school raised over $50,000 for the American Heart Association in 2024 becoming one of the highest fundraising schools in the country.
"I’m amazed every single day by the love and compassion these kids have," said physical education teacher Christina Crane. “I just want them to find something they can do that is heart healthy for the rest of their lives.”
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The fundraiser touches many families at the school who have been affected by heart disease.
Principal Robb Hedges is one of them.
“Last year, I started to experience some chest pains and other things so I ended up getting the bypass surgery,” Hedges shared. “That was part of the story I could share with our students, just to make a little bit more of a personal connection.”
Siblings Reagan and Rowan Detzler are both students at Shamrock Springs.
Earlier this year, their grandmother passed away after living 30 years with a heart condition.
She passed the day after her 70th birthday.
“My Grammy had a heart attack and she really liked the American Heart Association,” Reagan told WRTV.
When Reagan heard her school was challenging students to fundraise, she knew she wanted to do something.
“She said ‘Hey, Mom, I really want to make or raise all this money in Grammy’s honor,'” Reagan and Rowan’s mom, Katie Detzler, shared.
Reagan and Rowan were two of the top fundraisers in the school, raising nearly $8,000.
“They were making a difference, which was huge for them as kids who are dealing with grief,” Katie explained. “I feel like it helped them in a way that they could raise this money to make a difference for other people.”
Next year, the Detzler’s are already planning on fundraising even more than they did this year.
“$12,000,” said Rowan when asked how much he looked forward to raising in 2025.
“It’s making a huge impact in the lives of kids and adults with special hearts,” Crane added.
