CRIVITZ – Having to deal with a severe peanut allergy has given Crivitz youngster Hank Arndt plenty of perspective in his young life. It has also helped the Crivitz Middle School sixth grader stay motivated to help others during his time with the American Heart Association’s Kids Heart Challenge.

Because of that drive, Arndt, the son of Jeff Arndt and Chelsea McVane, earned Kids Heart Challenge All-Star status as one of the top fundraisers during the 2025 - 2026 school year. For the year, he raised $1,316.05 as a student at Crivitz Elementary School.

“Hank has always had a big heart for helping other kids, and Kids Heart Challenge has become something he genuinely looks forward to each year,” McVane said.

She added that her son understands having to manage a health condition, which has allowed him to have empathy for others.

“While he knows that what he manages is very different from the challenges faced by a child living with a heart condition, that experience has helped him understand, in his own way, what it means when something medical becomes part of your everyday life,” McVane said.

“It has given him an incredible amount of empathy for kids facing health challenges much bigger and more complicated than his own.

“That is a big part of why Kids Heart Challenge means so much to him. He loves knowing that the money he raises can help other children and families. Last year, Hank worked incredibly hard toward his fundraising goal and even chose to donate some of his own money that he had earned himself.”

Seeing their son work hard in the Kids Heart Challenge — and not just for the prizes and fun that comes with the program — but with a much bigger purpose in mind makes both parents beam with pride, McVane shared.

“Behind those little milestones is something much bigger to him,” she said.

“He is genuinely proud knowing that something he does can make a difference for another kid, and that is what keeps him coming back year after year. And as his parents, seeing that kind of compassion and generosity in him makes us incredibly proud.”

The current school year will be the last in the program for Arndt, as it isn’t offered past sixth grade.
And that’s a little bittersweet, his mom said.

“This year is especially meaningful to Hank because, unfortunately, it will be his final year participating in the Kids Heart Challenge,” she explained.

“He is genuinely sad that this will be his last one, which I think speaks volumes about how much this program has come to mean to him over the years. After everything he accomplished last year, he is already determined to make his final Kids Heart Challenge count.”

History of giving

For nearly 50 years, the American Heart Association has been working with educators in elementary, middle and high schools across the nation to help educate students about healthy living.

The Kids Heart Challenge is a service learning-based fundraising program that gives students the opportunity to feel good, while doing good. It’s a way for students to better their life — all while changing someone else’s.
Students, families and staff also learn valuable life skills, including how to make smart food choices, the importance of avoiding vaping/tobacco and the lifesaving skill of Hands-Only CPR.

Kids Heart Challenge engages elementary school students and their families to learn how to keep their heart, body and brain healthy — while helping kids with special hearts live longer, healthier lives. It’s a fun and meaningful way to teach lifelong habits of health and helping others.

“We’re so thankful for the efforts of all our Kids Heart Challenge participants and volunteers every year,” American Heart Association Region Vice President, Development, School Engagement Lisa Hoffman said.

Funds raised through the program allow students to support community wellness and to be part of the solution by funding research on a path to improving cardiovascular health for all.

For more information about the Kids Heart Challenge, visit www.heart.org/getstarted.