Several hundred parents and children gathered at the Boys and Girls Club on Bedford Street to join in Fall River's first Children's healthy Heart Festival on July 25, 2009. Hostess Michaela Gagne organized the event to showcase over 50   quilts that were displayed by the Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Quilt Project. The quilts are constructed of heart blocks with each block dedicated to a child or adult affected by congenital heart defects. The event featured dancing and a series of physical challenges such as jump rope and hula hoops designed to get children to be heart healthy. Messages about heart health were also given by a variety of speakers throughout the four-hour event. A raffle for kids included a iPod music player and Wii video game system as prizes for children, and a raffle for parents included gift certificates. Click here for the Herald News article about the event. For more information, contact Michaela Gagne at michaelajgagne@gmail.com.
 

(Top row, left) Ten-year-old Jaxon Tavares show his three-year-old brother, Joseph, how to bowl as Children In Balance project manager Marcia Picard looks on at her exhibit. (Top row, center) Former Miss Massachusetts Michaela Gagne joins Evan Hetzler in a dance as Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen Amanda Kelly, Miss Massachusetts Brianna Bostick, and Miss Bristol County Brett Bimmler dance behind him. (Top row, right) Three-year-old Wayne Chambers has fun with a balloon launched by City Councilor Steve Camara. (Middle row, left) Jason Springer oversees a hula-hoop competition as six-year-old Tanasha Davis practices. (Middle row, right) Three-year-old Mychelle Odam jumps a rope held by Jason Springer and Tennille Davis. (Bottom row, left) Six-year-old Madla Walsh jumps on her own with one of the many jump ropes available at the event. (Bottom row, center) Gabrielle Schoeffield, President of the CHD awareness Quilt Project joins Michaela as they present Clayton Walker of St. Vincent's Home with a new defibulator. (Bottom row, right) Ten-year-old R.J. Correia joins nineteen-year-old Amy Deslauriers for some line dancing with dancer Keith Silva of Dance Studio dancing to the tunes of M. C. Music Productions.