Participants from across the region gathered at the Rochester Heart Walk & Run Indoor Celebration on June 8 to boost physical and mental health while supporting a lifesaving mission.
The Heart Walk & Run brought hundreds of people to Monroe Community College. Due to air quality concerns, the event was held as an Indoor Celebration. Participants were encouraged to complete their 5k walk or run in their communities when it was safe to do so and share pictures on social media by tagging @AHANewYork and using the hashtag #ROCHeartWalk.
Participants helped raise nearly $300,000 so far at the Rochester Heart Walk & Run, and efforts are not done. Anyone can turn in donations until June 30, 2023, at http://www.RochesterHeartWalk.org.
“Every person who joins, every dollar donated, means more lives saved,” said Jason Stulb, executive director of the American Heart Association in Rochester. “More research. More people trained in CPR. More medical breakthroughs. And more lifesaving moments for hearts big and small. By participating and donating to the Rochester Heart Walk & Run, participants are supporting the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association and safeguarding that fewer people die from stroke and heart disease.”
The American Heart Association is committed to creating a Nation of Lifesavers through CPR and AED awareness. As part of that effort, the Association announced a new program during the Heart Walk & Run. Thanks to support from sponsor UR Medicine, a Mobile CPR Kiosk is coming to Rochester this summer. The kiosk provides instruction in Hands-Only CPR, as well as an opportunity to practice on a manikin and receive feedback. It is portable and will move to various locations, reaching people where they are.
“At UR Medicine, we are committed to improving our community’s health by providing the highest quality care and education,” said Kathy Parrinello, chief operating officer for UR Medicine’s Strong Memorial Hospital. “This Mobile CPR Kiosk will expand opportunities for members of our general community to learn Hands-Only CPR and practice it to make sure they’re doing it right. Most importantly, they will be prepared to help save lives.”
In addition to CPR education through the mobile kiosk, the American Heart Association is also focusing on the youth sports community. On June 8, more than a dozen local youth sports teams received CPR & First Aid in Youth Sports™ Training Kits. The kits, sponsored by Wegmans, are designed for youth coaches to ensure they and their community know the lifesaving skills of CPR, how to use an AED, and how to help during sports related emergencies. The kits distributed at the Heart Walk & Run are the first of a total of 300 kits being provided to youth sports teams in eight states and Washington, D.C thanks to support from Wegmans.
“We have sponsored hundreds of youth sports programs over the years because of the important role they play in providing positive activities for kids,” said Linda Lovejoy, Wegmans community relations manager. “Through our collaboration with the American Heart Association, we’re expanding the support we give to these organizations by providing the knowledge and training to help keep our young athletes safe.”
The Rochester Heart Walk & Run is sponsored by UR Medicine, Wegmans, CooperVision, Unum and more local sponsors. Media sponsors are Country 100.5 and News 10 NBC.
The funds raised from the Rochester Heart Walk & Run go towards research, advocacy, CPR training and to promote better health in support of the Association’s 2024 Health Equity Impact Goal, reducing barriers to health care access and quality.
For more information or to continue fundraising, visit http://www.RochesterHeartWalk.org.
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