Co-chairs are Jay Ignacio, president of HELCO, and Marcella Stroh, vice president of Central Pacific Bank. Join the fight against heart disease and stroke at the 15th Annual Hilo Heart and Stroke Walk and Health Fair on Saturday, Feb. 25,
Join the fight against heart disease and stroke at the 15th Annual Hilo Heart and Stroke Walk and Health Fair on Saturday, Feb. 25, at Lili’uokalani Gardens in Hilo.
Hundreds of walkers from across the Big Island will come with family, friends, co-workers, and survivors of heart disease and stroke for the American Heart Association event.
“The Heart and Stroke Walk inspires walkers, runners and those just starting to take steps toward building a stronger, healthier life for themselves and their communities,” said spokesman Eric Thompson.
Participant registration starts at 6:30 a.m., followed by opening ceremonies at 7 a.m. The Health Fair runs from 7 to 11 a.m., and includes a number of interactive activities, including cholesterol, glucose and blood pressure testing, kidney screenings, stroke risk assessments, heart healthy snacks, a keiki fun fair and entertainment.
“There will be lots of information from sponsors and organizations working to keep us healthy,” said Thompson. Activities will be at the Lili’uokalani Gardens/Isles Parking Lot.
The Hilo Heart & Stroke Walk & Health Fair helps fight heart disease and stroke by raising money to support lifesaving research, public and professional education, community programs and support groups. The event celebrates and honors survivors of heart attack, heart surgery and stroke, and provides new steps to reduce one’s risk.
Survivors are given special red caps to wear at the event to show they are “fighting backâ” from heart disease and stroke in the community and reclaiming their health.
The AHA is the second largest funder of heart and stroke focused research in the world. Only the United States government funds more research in these areas.
Research funded by the American Heart Association has yielded or contributed to many important innovations, such as CPR, pacemakers, bypass surgery, the heart-lung machine, surgical techniques to repair heart defects, and life-extending drugs like clot-busters.
“These and other advances are making it possible for many people to call themselves ‘survivors,'” said Thompson.
In Hawaii, more than 3,200 people die each year from heart disease. For more information about joining the fight to reduce these numbers, contact Shauna Tuohy at 961-2825 or visit the website www.hiloheartwalk.org.
The event will be presented by Hawaii Electric Light Co. Additional sponsors include Kaiser Permanente; Oceanic Time Warner Cable; Shiigi Drugs; Central Pacific Bank, Joseph D’Angelo, M.D.; Djon Lim, M.D.; Don Matsuura, M.D.; Clinical Laboratories of Hawaii and KTA Super Stores.
Co-chairs are Jay Ignacio, president of HELCO, and Marcella Stroh, vice president of Central Pacific Bank.
