The West Kentucky Heart Walk, one of more than 300 walks the American Heart Association organizes each year across the country, is returning to an in-person format this year to help raise funds for disease research and treatment. cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents.
The community event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on September 29 at the Noble Park Amphitheater, 2801 Park Ave. in Paducah. Check-in begins one hour before the event.
John Jacobs, Director of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Services at Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital, and Dr. Simone Fearon, Medical Director of Advanced Structural Cardiac Imaging and Quality Management at Mercy Health-Lourdes Hospital, are co-chairs of the 2022 Western Kentucky Heart Walk. The two encouraged members of the community to sign up to compete in the one-mile or three-mile events. It is also possible to register to walk online or donate directly to the cause online at heart.org/westernkywalk.
No donation is too small, said Jacobs and Fearon.
The Heart Association’s Heart Walks have been raising funds for cardiovascular research for over 30 years. Fearon said these events translated into real impact in raising public awareness of heart disease and decreasing death rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke. Over the years, these fundraisers have led to the development of new drugs and technologies to help extend the lives of patients.
However, heart disease and strokes are still prevalent in the United States.
More than 2,000 Americans die every day from cardiovascular disease, Fearon said, making it the leading cause of death in the country. Strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in the country and one of the leading causes of severe disability.
“When someone shows up for a walk, they need to know that their walk, their contribution goes directly back to all that the Heart Walk is committed to doing, which is, at some point, eradicating cardiovascular disease,” Fearon said.
Jacobs added that the walk helps people realize the impact of strokes and cardiovascular disease by seeing how many members of the community have been personally affected or know someone affected by stroke or heart disease. The event also helps raise awareness of the two conditions and can help people know when to recognize something is wrong and when to seek medical attention.
“If we can just save a life with the awareness and/or education that we can provide, then we’ve done a good job on this day,” Jacobs said.
Walkers can fundraise individually or as a team. Companies can also create teams for groups of walkers to fundraise together.
Jacobs said survivors of cardiovascular disease and stroke will be recognized at Thursday’s community event. Participants will also have the chance to wear badges indicating who they are honoring with their participation in the heart walk, whether it is a survivor or someone who has died of a stroke or illness. cardiovascular.
There will also be on-site blood pressure testing, as well as educational information on CPR and information on how to become certified in CPR.
