Chenango Bridge student Jessica Gates was honored by the American Heart Association Thursday for jump-roping her way to more than $3,000 in donations just this year for the non-profit.
That brings her fundraising total to almost $6,000 in the past couple of years. Jessica raised money through the Jump Rope For Heart program, which teaches children about the benefits of physical fitness. She says her hard work was in honor of a special someone.
"My grampie, he had heart surgery and he could have died and to help other people that have heart problems," she said.
"[I'm] unbelievably proud of her. She's not too difficult to inspire, she's very self-motivated and she found some importance in the Jump Rope for Heart program," said Kevin Novotny, her phyical education teacher.
Jump Rope for Heart events raise money to fund life-saving heart and stroke research as well as community and educational programs.