The American Heart Association’s 2016 Central Valley Heart & Stroke Walk and Lawyers Have Heart Run raised a record-breaking $235,851 to help in the fight against heart disease and stroke. This represents the highest fundraising total on record for this particular Central Valley-based Heart Walk. Nearly 2,000 people of all ages took part in the 24th annual event which took place Saturday, October 22 at Tesoro Viejo, an upcoming master-planned community in Madera County.
“We are so thankful for the support we received from the Central Valley community in helping us surpass our event goal and raise much-needed funds to combat these terrible diseases,” said Karen McCaffrey, vice president of The McCaffrey Group and chair of the 2016 Heart & Stroke Walk. “It was a pleasure to host the event at Tesoro Viejo and to be involved with such an important cause. It’s truly inspiring to see so many people come together for the Heart Walk and we are thrilled with the turnout and record-breaking success.”
Presented this year by Tesoro Viejo, the annual Heart & Stroke Walk is the largest local event for the association. All proceeds will go toward the American Heart Association’s overall goal of funding research to find better ways to treat and prevent cardiovascular diseases and stroke while providing educational health resources to the local region. The American Heart Association has funded research that has led to many breakthroughs, including developing the first pacemaker, techniques and standards for CPR and the first artificial heart valve.
According to the American Heart Association, walking is the simplest positive change individuals can make to effectively improve their heart health because it’s free, easy and has the lowest dropout rate of any exercise. Research has shown walking is the single most effective form of exercise to achieve heart health. The benefits of walking and moderate physical activity for as little as 30 minutes each day can help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke - the number one and number 5 killers of Americans, respectively.
Though the event has passed, there is still time to donate. Donations made on the Heart Walk website before December 31st will count toward this year’s walk. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.centralvalleyheartwalk.org or call (559) 650-4010.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers. 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 www.heart.org or call any of our offices around the country.
The Heart & Stroke Walk is sponsored nationally by Subway and locally presented by Tesoro Viejo. The local Heart & Stroke Walk top sponsors include Community Medical Centers, Vulcan Materials, Camarena Health, Kaiser Permanente, and E-Z Haul. The media sponsors are CBS 47, Telemundo 51, The Fresno Bee, Y101 and Mega 97.9. For a complete list of sponsors, visit www.centralvalleyheartwalk.org.
About Tesoro Viejo
Situated at the foot of Little Table Mountain, Tesoro Viejo, is an upcoming 1,600 acre master-planned community located off Highway 41 in Madera. A model of innovative design and sustainable living, the community will be a vibrant hub for southeast Madera County where residents can live, work, and play with housing and business opportunities, a walkable town center, green living, thriving industry, and neighborhood parks and schools.
