September 4, 2026 — At King Springs Elementary, heart health is more than an annual campaign—it has become part of the school’s culture.
That commitment has helped King Springs emerge as one of the top participating schools in Georgia in the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge, contributing to a record-setting year for the Cobb County School District.
The District surpassed $1 million in donations through the Kids Heart Challenge, a milestone the American Heart Association (AHA) has never seen before. It marks Cobb Schools’ fifth consecutive year as the nation’s top fundraising district.
Behind this historic achievement are individual schools like King Springs, where strong leadership, enthusiastic physical education teachers, and engaged families have turned a message about heart health into a community effort.
Building a Culture of Heart Health
At King Springs, the Kids Heart Challenge is woven into the school experience through the work of its Physical Education team and Principal Ashley Mize.
PE teachers spend several weeks educating students about heart health and using AHA resources, activities, and themes to make the lessons meaningful and engaging. School leaders reinforce those messages through announcements and communication with families. Their approach is simple: educate students, get them excited, and help them understand why heart health matters.
"We don't do anything special. We talk about heart health and about what the American Heart Association does. Our community is excited to give and very generous, and many of our families have a personal connection as well," said Principal Mize about the success of the King Springs community.
AHA representatives who have worked with King Springs for years point to Principal Mize as a major reason for its success. The school’s commitment has helped foster an environment where students want to participate and families understand the need.
“It starts with her,” said AHA’s Kimberly Moore of Principal Mize’s leadership. “She is such an incredible partner for us. King Springs was number one in Cobb, number two in Georgia, and number 9 in the U.S. for donations from an individual school."
Empowering Students to Be Lifesavers
That leadership extends beyond fundraising. One of the most important goals of the Kids Heart Challenge is to teach students what to do in a cardiac emergency, as 70% of cardiac emergencies occur at home.
The AHA emphasizes that children of all ages play an important role. Kindergarten students can learn to call 911 and find an adult, while older students can learn hands-only CPR and how to respond in an emergency.
That awareness is exactly what the program hopes to build: students who understand the importance of their own heart health and who feel empowered to help others.
King Springs Part of a Districtwide Success
King Springs’ success is part of a much larger effort across Cobb Schools.
The American Heart Association has partnered with Cobb Schools for more than two decades and considers the District a “legacy county” because of its longstanding commitment to the organization’s work.
Every school in the District participates in the program. That districtwide commitment helped Cobb Schools reach the unprecedented $1 million fundraising milestone.
This achievement is especially significant given the District's size, which includes 112 schools and programs. The next-highest-fundraising district—Broward County, Florida—raised roughly half as much, despite being more than twice the size of Cobb.
For AHA, Cobb’s success is about more than a fundraising total.
Representatives point to the District’s leadership, principals, and physical education teachers as key reasons Cobb has consistently stood out. The organization says there is no other school district quite like Cobb in terms of participation and commitment.
King Springs is helping to show what can be done on the school level.
That commitment to health extends beyond the Kids Heart Challenge and King Springs. This year, 11 Cobb Schools were also named among America’s Healthiest Schools by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, further highlighting the District’s focus on creating healthy environments for students, staff, and families.
Looking Ahead
With the million-dollar milestone now behind the District, the focus is shifting toward getting even more students involved and strengthening the lifesaving skills students gain through the program.
For King Springs, that means continuing to build on a culture that already places heart health, student engagement, and service at the forefront.
“The ultimate goal is much bigger than a fundraising record,” said AHA’s Melissa Rivera. “We want students to understand that they have the ability to make a difference.”
When students are asked if they know someone in their family who has experienced a heart attack, nearly the entire group raises their hands. Heart health is an issue that touches everyone, even first-graders.
“They're aware, and they're learning,” Ms. Rivera said. "It's really powerful to see Cobb's commitment to this partnership."
