Business Steps Up in a Heartbeat

Three thousand volunteers are expected to stomp all over heart disease on March 29 at the “Who Will You Walk For?” Sixth Annual Heart Walk and 5-K Run which begins at the University of Arkansas’ Bud Walton Arena.

At least 65 teams have committed to participating this year, with about half of them from companies returning to the event. Cindy Hudlow, Northwest Arkansas metro director for the American Heart Association, said the goal is to raise $200,000. Last year, $176,000 was raised.

Hudlow said the event is the largest fund-raiser for the American Heart Association.

“Of course, the purpose of the Heart Walk is to promote walking as part of a healthy lifestyle,” Hudlow said.

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion:

• More than 61 million Americans have some form of CVD, including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure and other conditions.

• More than 2,600 Americans die each day of CVD. That is an average of 1 death every 33 seconds.

• CVD cost the nation an estimated $329.2 billion in 2002, including health expenditures and lost productivity.

The American Heart Association reports that 40 percent of the 1.1 million heart attacks each year are deadly.

As a heart-attack survivor, Fred Vorsanger, chairman of this year’s Heart Walk and Bud Walton Arena manager, said he’s looking forward to a big turnout and urges contributors to be generous.

“This event is very important for the simple reason that the money we raise goes to heart research and other related activities,” Vorsanger said.

Vorsanger and others who have suffered from CVD will be honored as “Red Cap Survivors” during the event.

Todd Johnson, training administrator of operations at DaySpring Cards in Siloam Springs, said this will be the first year his company has participated. It has formed six teams and expects 55 to 60 DaySpring employees and family members to participate.

The company has set a goal of $9,000, and everyone is working hard to meet that goal, Johnson said. DaySpring teams have been holding yard sales, bake sales and selling hot lunches to raise money for it.

“It’s kind of a good deed for the community thing,” Johnson said, adding that it helps him to feel fulfilled as a Christian to reach out to others. “It affects so many people. And not just people with heart attacks and strokes, but also sick children with birth defects.”

In fact, the American Heart Association reports that 32,000 babies are born each year with heart defects and it’s the leading form of fatal birth defects.

A health expo and children’s events are also scheduled during the Heart Walk. The expo and other activities will take place in the concourse of Bud Walton Arena and, if weather doesn’t cooperate, the walk could take place there too.

Teams can sign up to participate by contacting the American Heart Association office in Fayetteville at 442-6540.

Registration the day of the event starts at 8 a.m. The 1.5 mile walk and 5K Run begin at 9 a.m.