Larson Named #1 Middle School in Mich. by American Heart Association

Larson Middle School was named the #1 Middle School in Michigan by the American Heart Association for their efforts in raising funds and awareness during the 21-22 school year! After several years working their way to the top of the list, physical education teachers Oliver Helfrich, Kat Holtz, and Andrea Lothian were proud to spearhead the effort that not only got them to #1 in Michigan, but named a TOP FIVE Coordinator of the year nominee out of thousands of schools across the nation!

Larson Rebels held a Dodgeball for the Heart Tournament and raised $10,100.77 to support the AHA and their life-saving missions of CPR training, heart health research, and community outreach while at the same time raising awareness within their own students and school community.

“This topic is important to the Larson school community because their hope is to spread the message that heart disease is the #1 killer of people in the United States and that there are steps that can be taken to prevent it,” said Larson Principal Joe Duda. Living a life with heart healthy habits start with eating a balance of healthy foods, exercising on a consistent basis and avoiding harmful behaviors like smoking/vaping. These programs and initiatives set the students up for a lot of fun to be had and gave them an avenue to learn about the heart and why taking care of your heart is so important for your overall health.

# # #

Photo courtesy of Troy School District: Left to R: Principal Joe Duda, PE teachers Kat Holtz, Oliver Helfrich & Andrea Lothian