Paradise School saw another major increase in money raised to help fight heart disease with their Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser Feb. 1.

The students raised just less than $700 for the American Heart Association, a major increase after raising $498 a year ago.

Patty Johnson, the coordinator for Paradise's participation in the function, said they had individual and group jump rope, hula hoop jumps and even hopscotch for the younger kids.

Sponsors pledged money for a certain amount of jumps and then the students jumped to earn the donations.

Johnson said the money earned this year was a vast improvement from last year's Jump Rope for Heart, despite having the same number of students participating. She said one of the reasons for the increase was the work of two young students, Josiah Vanderwall a first grader, and his brother Conrad who is in kindergarten. The two boys employed the Internet to request for pledges and between the two of them, they earned $300. The Vanderwall brothers will be awarded with certificates for their hard work in a presentation Feb. 1.

Johnson said the other students who participated will also be honored with prizes at the presentation after the AHA sends the prizes to the school. Johnson said the students deserve recognition for their improvement and effort.

"Every year they just do better, do more," Johnson said. "It'll be interesting to see what they do next year."

Johnson said she has been organizing the Jump Rope for Heart at Paradise since 2005 but the school has participated longer than that. She said the American Heart Association has different national functions that schools can choose to participate in and they raise money for research on heart disease.

Money is also sent to people who are suffering from heart disease and Johnson said from what she understands, the money actually goes to who needs it.

Johnson said the AHA contacts the schools and asks if they want to join in on the fundraising functions. She said they have been very helpful in encouraging and supporting the faculty at the school, answering questions and sending a video to help generate ideas.

Feb. 1 also marked the 100th day of school for Paradise so they celebrated by encouraging each student to jump 100 times.

Johnson said they also had a hoop shoot and the students almost made 100 baskets as a school in the short period of time they had to try.

Johnson said she is impressed with the effort made by the AHA to get people involved in fundraising and at the same time shedding light on the issue of heart disease. "I'm glad they do things like this because it makes people more aware," Johnson said.

"It shows the kids that one way to battle heart disease is to get out and move around more. I really back them."