Saving Lives Step by Step: Wayne County Heart Walk to turn bystanders into lifesavers
Saving Lives Step by Step: Wayne County Heart Walk to turn bystanders into lifesavers
The American Heart Association will drive critical CPR awareness at its largest community-facing initiative during its Centennial Year. WAYNE COUNTY, OH (September 3, 2024) — The American Heart Association, the world’s leading voluntary health organization dedicated to building healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, is inviting the people of Wayne County to transform from a community of bystanders into a community of lifesavers at its largest community-facing event during its centennial year.
Nine out of ten people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die. In most of those cases, bystander CPR was not performed.
But we can change this.
That’s why local businesses, friends and neighbors are invited to the 2024 Wayne County Heart Walk, where they will be empowered to act to save lives in emergencies. Every walker who joins and every dollar donated means more people trained in lifesaving CPR, more research and more lifesaving moments. The event will be held on Thursday, September 19 and starts at 5:00 p.m. with the Healthy for Good Festival at Kean Elementary in Wooster. Participants will be able to take part in health screenings and hands-Only CPR demonstrations. The youngest walkers can also enjoy activities in the “Kids Zone”. Leashed pets are welcome to attend. The walk, which includes a 1 and 2-mile paved course, will begin at 5:45 p.m. at Kinney Fields, at the corner of Oldman and Burbank roads.
This year’s Wayne County Heart Walk is led by co-chairs Scott Boyes, Chief Executive Officer at Wooster Community Hospital, and Adam Briggs, Investment Advisor at Briggs & Starr. “The Heart Walk has always been about our community coming together to fight our No. 1 health threat: Heart disease,” said Boyes. “We are passionate about the mission of the American Heart Association and motivating Wayne County residents to take steps toward a healthier lifestyle.” “The work of the American Heart Association is critical to the health of our community,” Briggs added. “Funds raised during the Heart Walk will advance education and research that will directly affect the health of Wayne County residents.” The money raised from the Wayne County Heart Walk will drive CPR education, training and awareness locally. Through fundraising, community education and corporate engagement, the Heart Walk aims to enhance CPR training accessibility, bolster bystander preparedness, increase funding for vital research and save and improve lives from cardiovascular diseases, the No. 1 killer in Wayne County.
The Heart Walk is the American Heart Association’s largest community-facing initiative. The event has the potential to reach 10 million people nationwide. 2024 is the American Heart Association Centennial – celebrating 100 years of being a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Since the organization’s founding in 1924, deaths from cardiovascular disease have been cut in half. To participate in the Heart Walk, individuals and teams can register online at heart.org/wayneheartwalk