One of the best things about Gainesville is how it rallies around its own. Local businesses and philanthropists are immensely supportive of homegrown charities, where they are able to see and feel the impact on the people in this community. The American Heart Association carries a big national brand with it, but that does not mean it is not a local charity in every sense of the word. How do you define a local charity? Is it a charity that uses national, regional and state resources to advocate for legislation that directly affects your place of business, your children’s schools and your family’s medical care? Does it affect men, women and children and cross all lines of race and ethnicity? Is it a charity that gives back directly to the people living, working and playing here? If so, the American Heart Association is a local charity like no other and it should be because this disease affects more lives than any other.
Cardiovascular disease, CVD, remains the No. 1 killer of all Americans. Think CVD affects mostly men? It is the No. 1 killer of women, killing more women than all forms of cancer combined. Think CVD is not a children’s cause? Approximately 1 percent of all babies born in the U.S. have a congenital heart defect, affecting thousands of children each year, with many more defects going undiscovered until adolescence or adulthood. Locally, nearly 500 people in Alachua County die from CVD each year, accounting for more than one quarter of all deaths in the county.
The Alachua County Heart Walk is one of the two official fundraising events held by the Alachua Division of the American Heart Association. The Heart Walk will be held on Sept. 28 at North Florida Regional Medical Center. The top sponsors are North Florida Regional Medical Center, Santa Fe HealthCare and Tower Hill Insurance Group.
While the Alachua Heart Walk and the Gainesville Heart Ball raised approximately $400,000 this past year, there currently are almost $3 million in active American Heart Association research grants at the University of Florida. In fact, of all active American Heart Association research grants in Florida, approximately 30 percent are held in Gainesville. That means significantly more dollars come back to this community than actually are raised here. The research that has changed the care of cardiovascular disease and stroke over the last few decades has been happening, is happening and will continue to happen right here in your own backyard. Also, both major hospitals meet the high standards required to hold American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines designations for stroke treatment and care.
This is why the Alachua County Heart Walk inspires so many companies and individuals to “walk the walk” to raise funds to help the American Heart Association fulfill its mission of building healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
Another example of how the American Heart Association impacts daily life here in Gainesville is evident in how local companies, both large and small, are using their participation in the Alachua County Heart Walk to inspire healthy changes among employees. For example, Tower Hill Insurance Group is hosting a pedometer challenge. According to President Don Matz, “A big part of Tower Hill’s participation in this year’s Heart Walk is challenging our employees to step away from their desks for a few moments each day, get active and get fit. We’ve offered all of our Heart Walk participants their own Tower Hill pedometers and provided a little extra motivation with contests for teams and individuals. A healthy company is a productive company, and it’s been rewarding to see everyone rally around the program, all in the name of good fun, good health and a great cause.”
UF Health is promoting healthy eating among its employees, patients and visitors by having a monthly showcase of heart-healthy meals in its cafeteria. “For UF Health, Heart Walk means more than just one day of promoting heart-healthy habits, it’s about encouraging others to make it their lifestyle,” explains Julie Sablik, program manager of the UF Health Aorta Center. “It is a common perception that a heart-healthy diet is bland and tasteless, but we are collaborating with our food and nutrition team and dieticians to change perceptions by showcasing heart-healthy breakfast and lunch meals for a week each month leading up to the Heart Walk. During the showcase, people will have the opportunity to speak with our dieticians about how to make heart-healthy meal choices; and recipes of the showcased food will be available to encourage everyone to make eating healthy also a habit at home. One of the most important things we can do as leaders in healthcare is to get our employees and the community excited about a heart-healthy lifestyle and aware that the time to make this lifestyle change is today.”
The showcase will be held at the Shands cafeteria for one week each month — July 22-26, August 26-30 and Sept. 23-27 — leading up to the Heart Walk.
Jackson Stoneworks is hosting a weekly walk open to the entire community. Jack Ryals says, “The Heart Walk is a great reminder that I can do something that will really make my life better. Walking is so easy to do and nearly everyone can do it. Please join us every Saturday at 8:30 a.m. on a 2-mile walk from Jackson Stoneworks factory to Boulware Springs as a warm-up to prepare for the Heart Walk in September. It is a great experience for all ages to get outside and start the day in a heart-healthy way. We are providing free water for everyone.” Anyone interested can call (352) 372-6600 or visit www.jacksonstoneworks.com for more information.
Of course, Heart Walk is not just about local business. Without individual walkers making up the teams, there would be no Heart Walk. The walkers and community teams are the grassroots of the event, each with their own special reasons for participating. Richard Thomas, a survivor of cardiovascular disease, says: “I walk for my brother and sister, who are also survivors, to raise awareness and increase the support of the American Heart Association on educating others to reduce the impact of this deadly disease.”
Cecile Feagle was last year’s top walker. “My son, Ryan, is 22 years old and started having surgeries at 8 months of age. He has had numerous heart catheterizations and several major surgeries relating to his congenital heart defect. The technology has advanced tremendously, and I walk to help increase that technology. My dream is through this research, a ‘drive-through’ solution will be discovered so that Ryan’s next surgery will allow a less-invasive method of treatment. The more money that goes towards that research brings us much closer to that reality.”
Heidi Simmons feels the same way. Her son, Tristen, was born with a congenital heart defect, which required open-heart surgery at 10 days old. Tristen, now 3, even understands in his own way. Tapping his chest, he says proudly: “I walk for my happy heart. The doctors fix it. Beat-beat!”
To bring it full circle, Tristen and Ryan were both treated locally where doctors have implemented procedures advanced by American Heart Association research to treat conditions such as theirs and where life-saving research is happening right now.
Why do we keep walking? Nearly as important as the research that the American Heart Association funds are the high-quality projects that go unfunded each year. Why do we need to raise more money this year than last? Because the AHA did not have sufficient dollars to support every application deemed highly meritorious by science volunteer evaluators. In the Greater Southeast Affiliate, 60 proposals totaling $6,017,872 went unfunded. This means that many scientific projects must be shelved, including some in Gainesville, deferring the knowledge and new standards of care that would result from their completion. This is why we walk.
For more information, email [email protected] or visit www.alachuacountyheartwalk.org.
By Kelley Frohlich | Photography by Allison Durham