WHEELING, WV, September 26, 2022— Your American Heart Association is excited to partner with local businesses and community teams for the return of the Ohio Valley Heart Walk, happening this Thursday, September 29th at Wheeling Park. Registration opens at 5:30 p.m. with the walk starting at 6 p.m. Funds raised from the event will help fight the #1 and #5 killers of Americans – heart disease and stroke. This year’s Walk Chair is Dr. Mike Campsey (WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital).

“We are so excited to see the Ohio Valley area come together once again in this fight, especially with all we’ve been through during this pandemic,” said Lauren Thomas, Development Director for the American Heart Association. “We are so excited to see all of the smiling faces of our community teams, volunteers, sponsors and, of course, our survivors.”

While the walk is in person, there will be precautions in place to keep walkers safe, including masks and hand sanitizer being available and the ability to be socially distant while on the walk path. Vaccinated participants may walk without a mask while unvaccinated participants are encouraged to wear a mask.

Area sponsors include The Health Plan, WVU Medicine (Wheeling Hospital & Reynolds Memorial Hospital), The Glessner Group, Main Street Bank, WesBanco, Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, Highmark Health, St. John Central Academy, and WV Northern Community College. WTRF TV is the media supporter for the event.

“We can’t say thanks enough to our sponsors and community partners,” added Thomas. “They helped us bring the Heart Walk back to the Ohio Valley and, without them, our mission to save lives couldn’t happen.”

Thomas reminds attendees to look for survivors wearing their special Red Caps (heart survivor) and White Caps (stroke survivor).  “If you want to know why you help, just look at our Red Cap and White Cap survivors,” Thomas said.  “They are all the motivation you need.”

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About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

For Media Inquiries:
Kevin Pauley, Communications Director: Kevin.Pauley@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)
heart.org and stroke.org