Gear up for the only American Heart Association (AHA) Start! Heart Walk in Suffolk County, to be held on Saturday, October 16, on Stony Brook’s West Campus. The AHA-sponsored event, held each fall in hundreds of communities nationwide, promotes physical activity and heart-healthy living in a fun environment. The Stony Brook event is organized by the AHA and staff at Stony Brook University Medical Center, with University-wide support.
Start! Heart Walks include more than one million walkers in communities nationwide. The event goal is to raise funds for research, education, and advocacy against the nation’s number one and number three killers: heart disease and stroke. More than 81 million American adults have one or more types of cardiovascular diseases.
“The Heart Walk is a wonderful way for Stony Brook University Medical Center and the entire community to join together against heart disease, which affects so many families in our area and all around the country,” said Lee Xippolitos, Chair of the 2010 Heart Walk at Stony Brook, and Dean of the School of Nursing and Chief Nursing Officer.
The walk includes three optional routes: a 3-mile, 2-mile, or 1-mile loop around West Campus. Registration and turn-in donations begin at 8:30 am. The Walk starts at 10:00 am.
Throughout the event, SBUMC nurses and other staff will provide educational information on nutrition, fitness, and heart-healthy living, as well as provide blood pressure screenings. A health fair will include vendors and health organizations promoting health and wellness. There will also be a Kid Zone, which includes fun activities such as face painting, magic tricks, arts and crafts, and caricature drawing.
Participants join SBUMC Walk teams to raise funds. Many teams feature themes, such as heart disease survivors walking for the “Mended Hearts & Red Caps” and dog owners striding with their pooches for “Paws for a Cause.”
Individuals can also set up teams. To set up a team or find more about the Walk, register at www.suffolkcountyheartwalk.org, or call Charlene Ryan at (516) 450-9121.
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