STATE COLLEGE – In just two months, hundreds of individuals from throughout Centre County and the surrounding area will gather to take strides against the community’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers, heart disease and stroke, at the 2014 Centre County Heart and Stroke Walk.
The annual walk to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke prevention and to raise funds for the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association will take place Sept. 28 at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center in State College. Registration begins at 12 p.m. and the walk steps off at 1 p.m.
Each year, families, friends and co-workers form walking teams to raise funds and participate in the Heart Walk. Many teams walk in honor of a loved one affected by heart disease or stroke or to simply get some exercise with a group of friends for a good cause.
Individuals or teams interested in participating in the 2014 Centre County Heart and Stroke Walk can register their team and walkers at www.heart.org/centrewalk. The Web site provides walkers with more information and tools to help them ask for and track donations.
The Heart Walk is a family and pet-friendly event featuring vendors, health information, team photos, kids’ activities and more. The fundraising goal for the 2014 Centre County Heart and Stroke Walk is $70,000. Walkers who raise a minimum of $100 will receive a Heart Walk T-shirt and the opportunity to receive additional prizes based on their fundraising levels.
Dollars raised by the American Heart Association through events like the Heart Walk fund cardiovascular disease and stroke research, as well as public and professional programs and advocacy.
The American Heart Association’s 2020 Impact Goal is to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent by the year 2020.
For more information about the 2014 Centre County Heart and Stroke Walk, visit www.heart.org/centrewalk or contact Brooke Welsh at brooke.welsh@heart.org or 717-730-1713.