Jumping June a huge success

Published: 19 July 2022

Partnering with the Heart Foundation, School Fun Run NZ launched Jumping June, a school-based skipping event that engages schoolchildren to get active, have fun and learn about their heart health.

Tamariki all over New Zealand, from Northland to Bluff, grabbed their ropes, got skipping and helped rally their friends and family to raise life-saving funds for the Heart Foundation.

“The level of commitment and excitement shown by those schools hosting a skipping fundraiser has absolutely blown us away,” says Alison Wheatley-Mahon, Head of Fundraising and Partnerships at the Heart Foundation. “We never could have expected the turn out to be so immense and it was a pleasure to see kids having so much fun while learning about their heart health.”

Nearly 200 schools and over 50,000 kids participated in Jumping June which, along with promoting a healthy lifestyle to children, helped raise vital funds to help prevent and treat heart disease. This fun and energetic event had a positive impact on tamariki across the country, teaching them valuable heart-healthy skills.

The Heart Foundation is incredibly proud to have partnered with School Fun Run NZ who organised this fantastic event and are thankful for the kind-hearted generosity shown by Kiwi schools and their communities.

“We’re so grateful to everyone who got involved,” adds Alison. “All of the schools that took part held fantastic fun-filled events throughout the month of June. The funds raised by each school will help save lives and improve the quality of life for over 170,000 Kiwis living with heart disease.”

Some schools got creative to reach their targets with some extra fun incentives! Lytton Street School in Palmerston North’s head teacher agreed to be dunked in ice water if they reached their goal – which they of course achieved. Leading the charge was St. Cuthbert’s College in Auckland, whose students raised an amazing $40,000.

“We’d like to give a big-hearted thank you to all the schools and their students who participated in Jumping June this year. We’d also like to give an extra-special thanks to the families and friends who supported their children and the wider school community to help raise life-saving funds,” says Alison. “We really enjoyed seeing how everybody participated in whatever way they could, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!”

Heart disease is New Zealand’s single biggest killer, and the Heart Foundation is dedicated to saving lives through funding vital heart research, promoting heart-healthy lifestyles and funding specialist training for cardiologists. As a charity, the Heart Foundation relies heavily on the generosity of everyday Kiwis to support their life-saving work.