Kristi Bieri Wins 2013 HFH Recognition Award
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Reston, VA January 11, 2013– The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) has awarded Kristi Bieri, physical educator at Odessa Upper Elementary School, with the 2013 Hoops For Heart (HFH) Recognition Award. Mrs. Bieri was selected to receive the 2013 Hoops For Heart Recognition Award for her many years of outstanding service to the Hoops For Heart program at both local and national levels. This award highlights extraordinary leadership by physical educators in the promotion of the Hoops For Heart program.
Mrs. Bieri has taught physical education for fourteen years to grades three through twelve. She is a recognized leader in her school community and serves on the Principal's Advisory Safety Committees, heads her school district's Physical Education and Health Vertical Team and is a regular sponsor of after-school clubs such as the Student Council.
Mrs. Bieri currently serves as the State Jump Rope For Heart and Hoops For Heart Coordinator for the Missouri Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MOAHPERD). A recognized leader in her state, she conducts local and regional training workshops for new coordinators of the Jump Rope For Heart and Hoops For Heart programs. Kristi Bieri actively supports the American Heart Association and works to recruit new schools to the Jump Rope For Heart and Hoops For Heart programs and to help spread the message of heart-healthy living.
Mrs. Bieri's Hoops For Heart events are known for their passion and fun. Although fifty percent of the students attending Odessa Upper Elementary qualify for free or reduced lunch, the school has earned the title of the Top Hoops For Heart School in Missouri for four straight years. The theme of life-saving altruism is close to Kristi Bieri's heart, and with good reason: at age 19, doctors discovered a hole in her heart the size of a dime and rushed her into open heart surgery. Over the last 13 years, Mrs. Bieri's events have raised over $67,000 for the American Heart Association.
Mrs. Bieri will be honored as a recipient of the 2013 AAHPERD Hoops For Heart Recognition Award at the AAHPERD Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 25 at the 2013 AAHPERD National Convention & Exposition in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Founded in 1978 by the American Heart Association and AAHPERD, the Jump Rope For Heart and Hoops For Heart programs have provided millions of dollars to cardiovascular research and the fight against heart disease and stroke. These school-site fundraising programs educate children on the importance of physical activity and diet in maintaining heart health for life. Proceeds aid individuals struggling with heart defects, cardiovascular disease, and stroke. With the growing rate of childhood obesity and heart disease at the forefront of national discourse, the efforts of quality health and physical educators are more important than ever.
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Contact:Allison Davis
703.476.3481