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Steamboat Springs — The first time, third-grader Garrett St. Clair got seven jumps in before he faltered.

"I was just warming up," he said.

How many was he going to get the next time?

"I'd say about 150," he said.

Garrett did make it past 10 jumps the next time, but for him and his classmates at Hayden Valley Elementary School on Thursday, the goal wasn't to get the most jumps - it was to be as active as they can.

As a part of the national fundraiser Jump Rope for Health, students in kindergarten through fifth grade took turns filing into the gym by class to jump rope in double Dutch, long rope, single rope and other jumping games.

Cassidy Crawford had her jumping down to a science. In a jump rope competition, the second-grader was one of about a dozen students still standing when the time was up. She said her secret was not to worry about her speed and focus her eyes on the wall, partly to concentrate and partly to ignore the boys horsing around near her.

It also helps that she has plenty of experience and jumps rope nearly every day.

"You have to stay in shape when you're trying to wrangle cats all the time," she said. Cassidy said she has 11 cats at home she has to keep up with.

Heart healthy

Gym teacher Ginny Glenn said the event is one of the most anticipated of the year for students and is used as a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Students were sent home with donation packets Thursday, and they will receive prizes based on how much money they can raise.

Glenn said the school has participated in the fundraiser "for years and years," and she views the activities as a good way to make students aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

"The whole idea is not only to help America be healthy but to have kids have a healthy lifestyle of their own," she said.