The Bi-Lo Buddies Start with your Heart Challenge is a skip-a-thon, and during the lead up to the Valentines Day event, local Tea Gardens Bi-Lo held their own fundraising community skipping challenge to vie for a position in the finale event held in their state this Valentine's Day (February 14).

The Tea Gardens skip-a-thon took place on Wednesday, February 1, outside Bi-Lo at Tea Gardens from 12pm till 1pm.

There were 10 skippers, made up of Bi-Lo staff, a raffle and barbeque, and all funds raised went to the Heart Foundation.

Tea Gardens Bi-Lo Store Manager, Adam Berry, explained that February 1 was a store casual day, where staff members paid a gold coin donation that went to the Heart Foundation.

"We also donated the money that we had raised through our sponsors for the skip-a-thon and we sold Heart Foundation merchandise at the registers as well," said Adam.

"The barbeque was there for customers and staff to purchase, and that money also went to this great cause," he said.

The aim of the Tea Gardens Skipping Challenge was to inspire the local community to consider the importance of heart health, and as a community, raise much-valued funds for The National Heart Foundation.

For the first time, the Bi-Lo Tea Gardens Start with your Heart Challenge invited Bi-Lo team members to participate in the ‘Skip-a-thon'.

Participan ts from Tea Gardens were encouraged to raise up to $100 sponsorship from family and friends for participating in the challenge.

It was as simple as the more skips per hour, the more money raised for heart research and the more prizes to be won.

Each member of the skipping team skipped for a maximum of five minutes in each session.

"We are delighted to be working with the Heart Foundation and the wider community to raise awareness of heart health and heart disease prevention in our community," continued Adam Berry.