HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- For 23 years, Christina Luntzer has made helping kids get healthy a part of her life as a physical education teacher. For the last three years that has been at Cold Harbor Elementary School in Hanover County.
"I just camouflage fitness with fun," said Luntzer in the middle of a class Wednesday where kids exercised at different stations. "They're playing poppers, they're doing dice games, but they're all ultimately getting their heart rate up and strengthening their muscles."
For over half of that time, Luntzer has also mixed in a focus on heart health as she has been involved in the American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge (formerly known as Jump Rope for Heart).
"Because one in 100 people are affected. So, if you're in a school of 500 that means five children had been impacted by heart disease. So, the education alone is worth getting the material to teach them hands-only CPR, stroke awareness, and, ultimately, saving lives," Luntzer said of her reasons for getting involved.
The challenge is part fundraiser for the AHA, but also teaches kids about the importance of heart and mental health, learn the signs of stroke and heart attack, and encourages families to take an online hands-only CPR together.
"[I want them to learn] empowerment and responsibility so that they can see. So with stroke -- you have facial, you have an arm, you have speech, and the timing matters. So, if you're with your grandpa and one of those things happen, call 911. And so, it just empowers them to be on the lookout around. By no means do they have to but, they'd be equipped to if they needed to," said Luntzer. "In a stroke or a heart attack, every second counts."
Meanwhile, a few years into her AHA work in her schools, Luntzer's family become one of the one in 100.
"10 years ago this past Monday, [my daughter] Alyiah was born with a congenital heart defect," said Luntzer, who added it was Pulmonary Atresia and Alyiah did not have a working valve and it needed to be replaced. "She immediately came out, C-section, and was isolated to NICU. And she remained in isolation until she had a heart surgery at five-days-old."
Luntzer said her daughter had another surgery in the summer of 2022 for another valve replacement that was a "grand slam" and means she should be good for another 15 years.
"And so, for me, as a strong Christian, it wasn't nothing but God," said Luntzer. "She's a redhead, so she's strong-willed and she's going to test you but, she is, as long as you can rein her in, she's exciting. And so what they say on paper she should be able to do and what she's doing -- as long as she's making progress, we're OK."
Luntzer shares her family's story each year during her school's campaign to show them her reason why.
"So, they see why I'm passionate about it," said Luntzer. "I had a kindergarten young man come in and he's just like -- he had a button down shirt and he's just walking around and I'm like, 'What's going on buddy?' And he's like, 'I have a scar, too. I'm a hero.' And so, now here we found out a kindergartener has the same exact heart defect that Alyiah has. So, we're getting him involved and he knows his why."
And the enthusiasm Luntzer has brought to the campaign has brought results as she said Cold Harbor more than doubled the previous fundraising record in her first year and they raised $16,000 last year.
"An amazing impact," said AHA School Engagement Director Savanah Beatley of Luntzer's work, who added along with the fundraising efforts -- Luntzer and Cold Harbor also contributed to Hanover's high performance in the CPR training metric. "Hanover County had about 2,000 families that participated out of the 4,000 that were involved in Greater Richmond…our goal is 1.8 million new families across the nation to learn hands only CPR every year and we do that by working with wonderful volunteers just like [Luntzer]."
"Get your heart beating faster and stuff," he said about the Kids Heart Challenge. "So really like you're working your body and your body's doing good and stuff."
Beatley said the AHA's goal for this school year's campaign in the Greater Richmond is to have 100 families from every school participate in the CPR training and that right now they have 80 schools signed up (an increase from last year's total of 50 schools).
"One in four families are affected by heart disease and stroke and as you heard, everyone has their why," said Beatley. "Sometimes it might not happen just yet and that's why we think this is so important to make sure that people are aware and know how to perform hands only CPR in case they find themselves in a circumstance where they would need to learn it and know it and provide it."
Luntzer said Cold Harbor's campaign will kickoff on February 6 and her goal is to raise at least $17,000 and to have at least 250 of Cold Harbor's 500 families take part in the CPR training.
"Just spreading the knowledge and keeping the passion."
While the campaign has not started at the school, donations can already be made here to help Luntzer and Cold Harbor reach their goal.
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