Scores of area walkers and runners are expected to converge on Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus on the morning of Oct. 4 for the annual Heart Walk.
The goal of the event is to bring attention to heart disease and stroke, the nation's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and the measures that can be taken to help prevent these health threats.
"We really are focusing on creating awareness," American Heart Association division director Cindy Sterling said. "We want people to build better, healthier lifestyles that are free of heart disease and stroke."
Almost 1 million Americans succumb to the diseases every year, and events such as the nationwide Heart Walks help to raise more than $570 million for research and education, Sterling said.
A kick-off reception was recently held at the West Virginia Career Institute in Mt. Braddock for Heart Walk teams.
The event is a five-kilometer trek, and is not set up as a race but as a self-paced walk.
Monies are raised as a flat, onetime donation that is collected prior to the event.
Now in its 16th year, the walk last year raised $113,000, attracting more than 600 participants.
The goal this year is to top $132,000.
"The walk is a perfect event to bring together all ages and people from the community," Heart Walk chair Denice Ferranti Robinson said. "We get people in strollers and up."
Teams at the kick-off told of their goals for the upcoming event and discussed ways to raise funding.
Also making one of her first appearances at the kick-off was 7-year-old Samantha Phillips of Smock.
Congenital heart disease is the most common of all birth defects, with about one in eight babies born with some type of heart problem.
When Samantha Phillips was only 2 months old, her family was informed that she had a heart murmur.
After a series of testing, it was determined that Samantha had a hole in the upper two chambers of her heart.
When she reached 3, Samantha had a mesh screen inserted that redirected the blood flow to her heart.
"This was a new procedure and we are truly blessed that this modern technology is out there and available to our child," Amy Phillips said of her daughter. "We hope to see you all at the walk."
All proceeds from the yearly event will benefit the American Heart Association.
Anyone interested in forming a team or walking as an individual can contact 724-437-2798 or visit the American Heart Walk Web site.
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