Stroke, diseases of the heart and other cardiovascular ailments kill more than 870,000 Americans each year, according to the American Heart Association’s Web site.
To help raise money for research and prevention of heart disease and stroke, UT hosted the American Heart Associations’ “Start! Heart Walk” Saturday at the Glass Bowl Stadium. The theme for this year’s walk was “Steppin to Heart Health.”
Several local and national sponsors were present for the day’s events. The three main national sponsors of the “Start! Heart Walk” were Subway, Healthy Choice and AstraZeneca. The local sponsors included UT; Gallon, Takacs, Boissoneault & Schaffer Co., L.P.A.; HCR ManorCare and MedCorp Inc.
Erin Fish, the American Heart Association’s “Start! Heart Walk” Toledo director, said she felt “such an appreciation for this community to come together and help out one walker at a time.” Fish said the money raised at the event is given toward life-saving research funds.
“Three years ago, UT joined the American Heart Association in this fight to get up and get moving to help prevent heart disease and stroke,” said Tim Beckman, UT’s football coach.
UT’s Dean of the College of Pharmacy Johnnie Early spoke at the opening ceremony.
“Today in Toledo is the time we stand united and also remember that exercise is medicine,” Early said.
Early presented David Urbanski, an art director from Toledo, with this year’s Lifestyle Change Award. The award is given to an individual who has made an outstanding lifestyle change in heart health.
Urbanski has been participating in the walk for five years. Urbanski said he changed his eating habits because he wanted to keep up with his kids.
“I used to come home from work and was tired and wanted to be more active with my kids, especially with the summer,” he said.
Urbanski said heart disease runs in his family, and the walk is important to him because one of his family members died of heart disease at the age of 46.
In addition to participating in the walk, Urbanski said he also joined the Toledo area’s Million Pound weight loss challenge.
“I have lost 49 pounds since January. My kids are more active, and I joined Super Fitness, and it has helped me out a lot. This is my first year not walking, but I am volunteering and my family is in the walk.”
Urbanksi was not the only person to receive an award at the Heart Walk.
Jayme Singer, a child survivor of heart disease and a patient at St. Vincent Mercy Children’s Hospital, was presented with the Pediatric Heart Survivor Award. Children of the hospital were asked to draw a picture representing “what makes the heart feel good” and Singer was selected as the best entry.
The walk began with a Kids’ Run where children participated in their own walk. Children could also participate in face painting, a football toss and basketball challenges.
The walk included several stations where healthy living information and demonstrations were available for participants. Vendors provided families with information topics such as exercise for children and proper portion sizes to incorporate into their diets.
Three areas provided participants with different products, services and information related to healthy living. Walkers received hats and shirts from the walk and were able to take part in memorial tributes and receive massages.
The largest contribution was made by Stu Goldberg of Eastman and Smith, who raised over $15,000 for this year’s event.
During the walk, participants shared their stories about surviving heart disease and stroke. Participants who were walking in memory of others shared stories and remembrances of those whose lives had already been claimed.
Several women converged at the end of the walk to say a prayer for those they had lost to afflictions of the heart.
“I am walking today because my dad passed away 10 years ago from a stroke,” said Joe Michalak, a food service worker from Maumee. “I quit smoking and just try to take care of myself and my family.”
Rain began to fall during the walk, but the participants remained undeterred by the weather.
“I made a choice to take care of myself; my heart is strong rain or shine,” Michalak said.
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