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I’ll believe it when I see it, but the weather app on my cell phone says that all this week the temperature will be above 40 and often in the 60s! No snow’s predicted either. Could it be that Sprinter is finally over? Will the sprigs and sprouts of flowers trying to break through finally get a break? Will we?
There’s a wonderful opportunity coming up to get outside, get some exercise and come together as a community to do good for ourselves and support the American Heart Association’s work. The American Heart Association’s 2018 Heart Walk, sponsored by Geisinger, is set for Saturday at PNC Field in Moosic. Registration and activities begin at 8:30 a.m., and the walk steps off at 10 a.m. This is the second year the event is at PNC Field, where last year an enthusiastic group of almost 2,000 people walked for better heart health. This year’s participants will enjoy a 1-mile casual walk around the baseball diamond at PNC Field. Well-behaved pets are welcome and add to the festive mood.
This year’s Heart Walk is about more than just walking – it’s about taking a variety of small, sustainable steps toward a healthier and more active life. Whether you want to try yoga, hula-hooping or jump rope, learn “Hands-Only CPR,” or sample a healthy snack, the Heart Walk will have something for folks of all ages. The event will begin with a fun-filled celebration of those heart-healthy choices that we make all year long, followed by the walk.
The Heart Walk focuses our attention on the importance of being active. Moving, doing anything that gets us and our families up and exercising, no matter how modest, clearly has a big positive influence on our physical and mental well-being. We know for sure, based on lots of good research, that the beneficial effects of something as simple as a 30-minute walk at a moderate pace are huge and powerful. Move More Month is part of the American Heart Association’s Healthy For Good campaign and encourages sustainable healthy lifestyle changes.
While learning about heart health, having fun, and getting a head start on being more active, you’ll be helping the American Heart Association raise money to support its work in research, education, prevention and treatment of heart and vascular disease and stroke. Dollars raised will help build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers. The fundraising goal for the 2018 Northeast PA Heart Walk is $250,000. Walkers who raise a minimum of $100 will be given a Heart Walk T-shirt and the opportunity to receive additional prizes based on their fundraising levels.
The 2018 Northeast PA Heart Walk is chaired by Ronald Beer, chief administrative officer for Geisinger’s Northeast Region. The Heart Walk is presented locally by Geisinger, with additional support from Commonwealth Health, Cross Valley Federal Credit Union, Medtronic, Metlife, PHDI, Gift of Life, and Erwine Home Health. For more information about the Northeast PA Heart Walk, visit heart.org/northeastpawalk or contact Amy Skiba at 570-815-4243 or [email protected].
Shake off this incredibly persistent winter. Put on your walking shoes, grab your kids and your dog, join your neighbors, friends and co-workers and get to PNC Field. You’ll learn something, get some swag, have some healthy snacks, soak up some sun and do your heart some good, physically and emotionally. Thanks AHA, for all you do for the Valley with a Heart.
