Roblox players receive a performance boost when using Heart Heroes characters

For the next 30 days, players of the Roblox game Race Clicker will be joined by three Heart Hero characters from the American Heart Association’s in-school program, Kids Heart ChallengeTM. Roblox is a virtual playground where users may interact freely in a 3D environment and express their creativity with others. Animated Heart Hero figures, each representing a different aspect of health, inspire kids to adopt positive routines. Roblox users can see the Heart Hero avatars in the racing game Race Clicker, which pits two players against each other in a sprint to the finish line. The game was integrated with the help of Super League, a major publisher of virtual reality content for the most popular online gaming communities. Throughout the game, players will interact with the Heart Hero characters.

According to Raymond Vara, president and chief executive officer of Hawai’i Pacific Health in Honolulu, Hawaii, and volunteer chairman of the board of the American Heart Association, “for each interaction players will receive a performance boost in-game.” According to the American Heart Association, “this is a significant opportunity to meet kids where they are and share the benefits of mental and physical health to help them grow and develop to their full potential.” A glimpse of the incoming 2023–2024 cohort of Heart Heroes can be seen in a special appearance in the Roblox game Race Clicker. The American Heart Association, an organization with a mission to improve global cardiovascular health, traditionally introduces its new roster of eight “Heart Hero” figures in August, just in time for the new school year. Roblox features three Heart Hero characters:

• Star: Anyone knows that getting a good night’s sleep promotes children’s mental and physical health in the long run?
• Splash: Someone takes pleasure in making tasty and heart-healthy treats for herself and others.
• Bolt: Anybody doubts that exercise improves mental and physical health?

The Kids Heart Challenge, organized by the American Heart Association, is based on research showing that physically active children are more likely to grow up to be healthy adults. The Association’s Kids Heart Challenge and its predecessor, Jump Rope for Heart/Hoops for Heart, have been implemented in schools across the country for 45 years to promote physical health and wellness. Children that are physically active tend to have higher attendance records, classroom demeanor, and test scores. Children who engage in regular physical activity report higher levels of happiness, improved mental health, higher self-esteem, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression.