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On Friday, 10 May 2008 tens of thousands of Aussie kids around the country skipped as one to celebrate the 25th birthday of Heart Foundation Jump Rope for Heart in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people skipping at the one time.
Over 59,000 Australian school children took part in the new world record attempt that will be verified by Guinness World Records™ in the coming weeks. The official record of 7,632 people skipping at the same time, has been held in the United Kingdom.
The main event took place at Sydney Olympic Sports Centre at exactly 11.30am EST, with Cartoon Network’s Ben 10, Gladiator ‘Outlaw’, Hilton Dennis and Stephanie Golman from ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, Luke Boon – current speed skipping record holder, there to support and encourage the enthusiastic skippers.
“The event was a unique opportunity for the Heart Foundation Jump Rope for Heart teams to make history. Thousands of kids throughout Australia including over 30,000 students across New South Wales skipped together in their attempt to beat the official record,” said Heart Foundation CEO Tony Thirlwell.
“It was an amazing spectacle and a huge organisational challenge for the Heart Foundation, schools, teachers, children and parents around the country,” he said.
“Cartoon Network’s partnership with Heart Foundation reflects our ongoing commitment to encourage kids to pursue a healthy lifestyle,” said Robi Stanton, Executive Director – Sales and Networks, Australia and New Zealand, Turner International Australia Pty Ltd.
“According to the Heart Foundation, two out of the three families are affected by heart disease each year. Coupled with this alarming statistic and the need for kids to get active at an early age, and have fun while doing so, it was but natural for Cartoon Network to partner with Heart Foundation’s Jump Rope for Heart 25th Birthday.”
The Heart Foundation Jump Rope for Heart program was established in Australia in 1983. Since then, more than 8 million Australian school children have participated in the program to promote health and fun while raising over $60 million. The Heart Foundation Jump Rope for Heart program helps children improve their cardiovascular health and fitness, learn about the importance of heart health, enhance self-esteem and provide them with the opportunity to do something worthwhile for the community and all Australians.
The Heart Foundation saves lives and improves health through funding world-class cardiovascular research, guidelines for health professionals, informing the public and assisting people with cardiovascular disease. As a charity, the Heart Foundation relies on donations and gifts in wills to continue its lifesaving research, education and health promotion work.
Launched in Australia in 1995, Cartoon Network is one of the most popular entertainment channels among kids and is currently seen in over 2 million homes in Australia. To promote a healthy lifestyle in Australia, Cartoon Network has supported several widely-acclaimed initiatives such as the Aussie Hoops (promoting basketball), Get Animated (advocating general fitness), Cartoon Network Fruit Picks (choosing fruit as a healthy snack option) and, together with Coles Supermarkets, the promotion of grapes as a healthy snack with the help of its iconic toon stars.
AAP