50 Successful Strategies
From the 2013 Heart Heroes
Compiled by Brenda Sharp, Joint Projects Chair
1. When a certain amount is reached, the principal and coordinator wear a duck suit.
2. Send out “Save the Date” cards.
3. Display ducks & prizes in the trophy case located on the way into the gym.
4. Ask others or AHA representatives.
5. Create jump rope “Clubs.” When a student can jump a certain skill x times, he signs his name to that skill poster which is hung in the gym. Poster example =”Crosses Masters”
6. Play “Jump the Brook.”
7. Use the KAHPHPERD Mentors – lots of ideas to help you.
8. Bring a jump rope team and have an assembly to promote the event.
9. Local businesses donate door prizes.
10. Everyone does the jump rope unit. Add packets from JRFH at the end of the unit to get all involved.
11. Duck race of participation between classes on a Duck Pond poster.
12. Line the walls with hearts! Each student that turns in a packet gets a heart. Start in one corner of the gym, and continue the line around the gym. We mark our “record”number of participants with a red arrow on the wall. A visual goal to improve each year!
13. Besides having some heart patients present, one of our stations is “Hands Only CPR.”
14. Teachers come in and watch the students.
15. Kick off with students wearing camo or duck hunter gear. (You could even charge $1 to wear it.)
16. Firemen come in and turn ropes.
17. Set a goal for school, and if it’s met, the principal can dress like a duck for a day.
18. Water balloons –any donation = one balloon. At $20, the student earns the second balloon. Additional balloons are earned at$20 increments. During the afternoon of the last day of school, students get to throw the water balloons they’ve earned at the teachers and staff.
19. Have a student or a family member who has had heart issues/disease talk about their experiences.
20. Have top HFH fundraisers play in a student vs. staff basketball game. If a student does not feel comfortable playing, he can choose his replacement.
21. Make hearts on gold, silver and bronze paper and create a Heart Hero board. Establish dollar amounts for each level. When the student reaches a level, his name is written on the corresponding colored heart and display on the board.
22. Get principal involved.
23. Students raising $30 or more, make ice cream sundaes during physical education class.
24. Ask teachers to use some kind of “duck” writing prompt. Award one prize for the best story which is read over the intercom.
25. Make a large poster with “I’m a Lifesaver.” Put“face” pictures of each student in the hole of each individual Lifesaver.
26. Students sign up for jump rope or free throw contests for prizes during the event.
27. Put up posters to develop interest.
28. Establish a consequence for PE teachers, principal, and teachers to do if school meets fundraising goal. Examples: shave head, wear a dress or suit and tie, sleep on top of school or on school campus.
29. Hang incentive posters up early all over the school.
30. Embrace the Ducks; they were a good motivator.
31. Involvehigh school and/or college students to excite your students!
32. Students are assigned team. Teams create team posters to decorate gym.
33. If school goal is reached, I dress up in a costume to teach classes for a day.
34.Wear your ducks! The students loved this new incentive. Seeing the ducks everyday is a great reminder.
35. We donate our gift certificates to communities that need help. (Joplin, MO; Moore, OK)
36. Have students, teachers and staff write the name of someone they are honoring by participating on hearts. Use these to create a heartbeat in the school hallway.
37.Snacks – popcorn and water
38. Create morning announcements which include heart facts.
39. Have a HFH Party ALL day – in PE, art, music, computers, lunch and the classrooms. (cross curricular)
40. Be creative with incentives. Add additional incentives, and don’t be afraid to get messy! Our students have loved the human sundae, pie in the face, and other incentives that involve their PE teacher or principal.
41. Hold the event during PE classes.
42. Teacher/principal dresses up as a duck for an entire day if the goal is met.
43. Be enthusiastic!
44. Involve senior citizens and parents.
45. Have your AHA Youth Marketing Director do an assembly to explain the ducks to your students.
46. Make “Quacky is coming!” posters to display all around your school.
47. Male teachers wear dresses to school if the kids reach their goal.
48. Top $$ raiser has a certificate in display case and in gym with his/her name.
49. Duck Pond--all kiddos who raise $5 or more sing a duck and put it on the pond.
50. I’m creating different levels of achievement and relating them to the ducks. These levels will be based on the characters from “Duck Dynasty.” Example 1st Level (getting the first duck) = Uncle Si status!