Summit Natural Gas of Missouri donates Jump Ropes to Mountain Grove YMCA as Part of “Move More Month”

The American Heart Association and Summit Natural Gas of Missouri are proud to partner to help children live a healthier lifestyle.

4/21/2021

LEBANON, MO — Summit Natural Gas of Missouri (Summit) recently partnered with The American Heart Association to provide jump ropes to the Mountain Grove YMCA to celebrate “Move More Month.”

“At Summit, giving back to the communities we serve is a big part of our company values, which is why we are excited to participate in promoting healthy activities for area youth organizations with the American Heart Association,” said Phil Marcum, Senior Manager of Business Development at Summit. “With this donation of 100 jump ropes to the Mountain Grove YMCA, our hope is that we can encourage kids and families throughout the area to have fun and get some exercise at the same time. This is good for the community, it’s good for our health and it’s a fun way to give back.”

National “Move More Month” is every April with the goal of getting youth and community members up and moving. Created by the American Heart Association as a way to help improve health of Americans everywhere, “National Move Month” is aimed at getting more of us to hit 10,000 steps every day or, even better, to hit that 20-minutes of aerobic exercise mark every day.

Carrying extra weight as a child or teenager can pose significant health risks, both during childhood and into adulthood. The American Heart Association points out that children diagnosed as overweight from the ages of 7 to 13 may develop heart disease as early as 25 years old. Obesity is linked to more chronic conditions than smoking, poverty and drinking. It is also linked to increasing the risk of more than 20 preventable conditions.

Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 20% of kids get enough activity to meet physical activity recommendations. Additionally, it has been shown that physically active children tend to have better grades, school attendance and classroom behavior.

“Cardiovascular diseases continue to be one of our greatest health threats,” said Kayla Moore, Development Director at the American Heart Association. “To treat, beat and prevent heart disease and stroke, children need physical activity to live a longer, healthier life. We are thrilled for these youth to enjoy the Summit donation of 600 total jump ropes.”