HOUSTON—Thousands of Houston residents walked with families, friends, co-workers and heart and stroke survivors for this year’s American Heart Association Start! Houston Heart Walk on Saturday.
The event inspired walkers to step toward a stronger, healthier life, while raising funds to fight heart disease.
In addition to the five mile, non-competitive walk, participants had the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy festivities throughout the park in three interactive villages: Inspire Change, Celebrate Success and Create Hope.
The cause
Heart disease and stroke - the nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers - and all other cardiovascular diseases, claim more than 870,000 American lives a year. Locally, the association invested more than $15.5 million
during fiscal year 2007-08 on 57 meritorious research projects in Houston so people across America can live stronger, healthier lives. Last year, more than $1 million was raised at the 2008 Start! Houston Heart
Walk. The American Heart Association’s goal is $1.5 million dollars for the 2009 Walk. Research funded by the American Heart Association has yielded or contributed to many important innovations such as CPR,
life-extending drugs (including clot-busters), pacemakers, bypass surgery, the heart-lung machine and surgical techniques to repair heart defects. These and other advances are making it possible for many to call themselves “survivors.”
