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The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
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Heartbeats and heroics

Fundraising to support children affected by Congenital Heart Disease
Lillian Tinker, Staff Reporter
October 17, 2024
Photo courtesy of Millard West DECA
Before the run begins, senior Chloe Teter and junior Montana Chronister pose for a picture with the handmade signs they made to cheer on the kids. Children dressed up as superheroes for the run to demonstrate the strength people have when fighting through Congenital Heart Disease. “I decided to participate with DECA for the Heart Hero Run because I wanted to volunteer and have fun with the kids with fun activities,” junior Montana Chronister said. “Heart Heroes impacted me because it was so great to see such a close community of people supporting one another.”

On Sept. 29, Millard West DECA participated in the yearly Heart Heroes Superhero Run fundraiser. A month before the run, DECA students put up signs all around Omaha to spread the news and even participated in numerous activities throughout the event.

Heart Heroes created the nation’s first 5k/2k to raise awareness for Congenital Heart Disease. The run occurred at Warner Park and kids who participated wore superhero capes to represent their strength in fighting their heart problems. The superhero run has raised about 2 million dollars over the past few years, and DECA always looks forward to helping out with the event.

“Millard West DECA has connected with Heart Heroes for a couple of years through Applied Marketing projects that have been based on Heart Heroes,” senior Noah Behrens said. “This year, no one chose Heart Heroes for their Applied Marketing project, but out of the goodwill of Millard West DECA, we helped out for the Heart Hero Run. We did it better than any previous years, and we had over 55 students participate in the numerous activities.”

Heart Heroes Inc. was founded in 2009 by a group of moms who wanted to support their children with heart problems. During the Heart Heroes Run event, children contribute by watching the parade, wearing superhero capes and releasing butterflies to honor the children who have passed due to CHD. Eager to make a difference, they partnered with local and national CHD organizations to bring the dream of the Heart Heroes Run to life.

“Not only is the Superhero Heart Run a fundraiser, but it’s a platform for CHD awareness,” Heart Heroes co-founder Kitty Burton said. “This amazing day is for our Heart Heroes. It’s an opportunity to shine a light on the children and families forced to be brave every single day. This event honors and remembers every child with CHD. This event is for them.”

This special organization created the run to fundraise and spread awareness; for some, the run has greatly impacted their lives. The organization donates all profits made at the event to families with children who struggle with CHD to support them through their journey. Senior Samuel Burton was born with heart conditions and has been impacted significantly by Heart Heroes through each of his open heart surgeries.

“Heart Heroes is something that I’ve got to see grow as I’ve gotten older,” senior Samuel Burton said. “I was born with heart problems so it’s just always been a part of my life, and this summer was my fourth open heart surgery. This is definitely an obstacle to overcome, but it is something that has helped me grow a lot as a person, especially in my faith. Heart Heroes has impacted me in how they care and provide comfort for families who are going through things that my family had to go through as well.”

Heart Heroes has been a community-loved organization for 14 years and hosts many more events than just the run. Children are being impacted every day because of them, and profits are aiming to help research for Congenital Heart Disease. Millard West DECA had a blast during this year’s run, and always looks forward to seeing these strong superheroes run their hearts out.

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About the Contributor
Lillian Tinker
Lillian Tinker, Staff Reporter
Lillian is a sophomore and this is her first year on staff. She loves being involved in the school as she participates in show choir (Uptown), Tri-M, and Millard West FCA. Writing stories and photography are some of her favorite things, and she hopes to entertain readers as she improves her writing skills throughout the year.