by Sheila Baltzell-Linn www.parkwayindependent.com

(3-11-24) During the week of February 12-17, 2024, and in celebration of “Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week”, Parkway Schools celebrated the week with challenging activities and raised money for the Heart Association.  Congenital Heart Disease is the lifelong complications of being born with structural or electrical heart problems. All of this activity was in support of their fellow Parkway Panther, Sophomore Rylan Lyons. Congenital Heart Defects affect % of the population so, Nearly 1 in 100 babies (about 1 percent or 40,000 babies) is born with a heart defect in the United States each year.

Beginning on Monday, the Coin War went into effect in grades K-12. Free doughnuts were awarded to the homeroom class in each building that collected the most change. 


According to Amy Lyons, the winning classes were: Ms. Burrow’s at the Elementary School; Mr. Clouse’s class at the Middle School; and Ms. Yoder’s class at the high school.  The Middle School won overall for the most money collected. The total for the week was $2,287.74, which was an outstanding amount that was donated to The American Heart Association.

The coloring contest for grades K-4 got underway as well. Gift card winners included: Kindergarten, Marius Whitaker; First Grade, Evelyn Stover; Second Grade, Hattie Hayes; Third Grade, Alayna Knapke; and Fourth Grade, Mara Slavik. 
On Tuesday, the plank challenge began for grades 9-12 during both lunches. The winners of Taco Bell Gift Cards were: 5th period lunch – 1st Maddox Houts, 2nd Trever Stearns, and 3rd McKenzie Matthewson. 6th period lunch winners: 1st Braedn Conn, 2nd Jamani Bixler, and 3rd Jaden Green.
On Wednesday, the high school and middle school sold red hearts for 25 cents to honor someone living or the memory of someone affected with heart disease. 

On Thursday, the high-school students participated in the jump rope competition during both lunches. The top winners were: 5th period – 1st Natalie Moeller, 2nd Ella Putman, and 3rd Christina Tong. 6th period winners: 1st Braedn Conn, 2nd Jamani Bixler, and Wyatt Carpenter. All six winners received Hot Head Gift Cards. 

On Friday, all grades wore red shirts. Many students bought and wore red t-shirts for the week, bearing the name of their friend Rylan. There were scotcheroo sales during high school and middle school lunches. 280 scotcheroos were made and sold to raise money for the American Heart Association.

When Saturday arrived, all Parkway Panther students and fans, attending the boys home basketball game against the Spencerville Bearcats, wore red.

Organizer Amy Lyons reported that the efforts of Parkway raised a total of $3000 for The Heart Association, and everyone had a ton of fun doing it.