The Heroes and Cool Kids have wrapped up their year of mentoring fifth graders at HBW Middle School. After countless hours of training and going on various trips, the organization has had its final meeting and will start up again next year.

Heroes and Cool Kids is an organization that aims to help young children make the right decisions whether it be with sportsmanship or the use of alcohol and drugs. This club is not just open to anyone, however, as the members must apply and submit two recommendations: one from a teacher, and one from a coach. Selections are then made by a pool of teachers. Once in the club, students must swear off the uses of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs in order to not only maintain their own reputations, but the integrity of the organization.

This year, Heroes welcomed over ten rookies, and had 20-plus veterans. The year started off at Bergen Community College where the members were mentored and taught how to go about the classroom visits with the fifth graders. Mentors consisted of multiple retired professional athletes along with higher ups in the organization.

Afterwards, the students made their first visit to HBW where they mentored kids on health and nutrition. This visit also consisted of icebreaking games, such as the people machine where kids make up gestures or dance moves to create a “machine.”

The second visit enlightened the fifth graders on the dangers of bullying and the internet. They learned what “bullying behavior” consists of and how to include others. They also learned how to handle a bullying situation.

Next, select Heroes went on the Fairview Lake trip with the fifth grade and helped chaperone groups while they learned about wilderness survival. Followed by this came Jump Rope for Heart where the Heroes jumped with the middle schoolers to raise money for heart disease awareness.

The Heroes’ final visit was about something more serious: drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. The Heroes helped answer any questions fifth graders may have had, and also taught them how to resist peer pressure.