BURLINGTON — The students at Burlington Elementary School got a break from their normal routine Wednesday as they got to spend part of their day jumping rope as part of the Jump Rope for the Heart program sponsored by the American Heart Association.

“We have one big jump roping event here,” Jim Robinson, physical education teacher at Burlington, said. “We practice for it leading up to it and talk to the kids about having a healthy heart and what they can do to help that; exercise, eating healthy, and not smoking.”

Burlington Elementary has participated in the program since 1993, and this year raised over $7,000 for the American Heart Association.

“The students will go out and ask their parents and neighbors for donations,” Robinson said. “There are also online donations and different organizations have donated.”

Throughout the day, music played in the gym while different classes and grades came in to jump rope at different times while Robinson along with some parents helped out with the event.

“A lot of the kids will dedicate their jump roping to a family member or someone they know with heart problems,” Robinson said.

Fifth grader Chariti Thacker did just that.

“It helps people who have heart defects,” she said. “It helps my grandmother who has a heart defect. That’s why I’m doing this.”