Throughout this year, students at Lehighton Middle School in Lehighton participated in their Hoops for Heart quarterly event to fight heart disease and stroke, the number one and number five killers.

At 8 a.m. Thursday, Lehighton Middle School will celebrate surpassing their $3,000 goal and will meet special guest "Mr. Quacky" this year's promotional mascot.Through Hoops for Heart, students raised $4,100 for the American Heart Association, which funds lifesaving heart and stroke research, health care quality improvement, and community and educational programs for our youth.Hoops for Heart teaches students how physical fitness benefits the heart and shows them that volunteering can be a fun and positive experience for the whole community. The need to educate children about the importance of physical activity is urgent. According to recent studies, about one-third of children ages 2 to 19 are overweight and obese.For over 17 years, Hoops for Heart has raised more than $72 million for the fight against heart disease and stroke. Millions of students have played basketball and learned about heart health and how nutrition and physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke. Hoops for Heart is co-sponsored by the American Heart Association and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, now named SHAPE.For more information or to have your school participate in a Hoops for Heart event, contact the American Heart Association at 610-867-0583 or visit heart.org/hoops.