Volunteers are truly what make the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association successful in funding lifesaving research, education, training, and advocacy programs in the Southern Tier. Monday night, the association honored and celebrated the local “Heroes of Heart” at an awards recognition and celebration at the Holiday Inn in Binghamton.
Over the years, hundreds of community members have dedicated their time, talent and passion to volunteering for the American Heart Association. Among the awards received were top Southern Tier Heart Walk sponsors; media sponsors; fundraising companies, teams, and individuals; the survivor honoree; Get With The Guidelines® hospitals; student fundraising through Jump Rope For Heart; and the top fundraising companies for National Wear Red Day. The event also recognized the chairman of this year’s Southern Tier Heart Walk, Tim Strong, Business Development Manager at Visions Federal Credit Union.
The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association honored several Heartsaver Heroes during the event. The Heartsaver Hero Awards honor people who take action in an emergency when someone suffers a cardiac arrest. These honorees called 911 and performed CPR, giving cardiac arrest victims their best chance of survival. Monday night’s Heartsaver Hero honorees include Jonathan Fleming, Ralph Fuller, Sony Jean-Philippe, and Amber Scarinzi, who are all part of a group that saved a man who suffered cardiac arrest while trying to dig out his car in a snowstorm.
The Volunteer of the Year Award is always a surprise at the end of the night. This year the award was given to the Southern Tier Heart Walk Logistics Committee. The committee works year-round to ensure the Heart Walk is a fun, successful, educational, and entertaining event.
During the event, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association announced the Guide to Summer Wellness program, sponsored by Visions Federal Credit Union. The program will provide weekly tips on health topics ranging from the importance of Knowing Your Numbers, to healthy grilling, to financial wellness and stress management.
“The Southern Tier Heart Walk may be over, but wellness is important all year-round,” said Tim Strong, 2017 Heart Walk Chairman and Business Development Manager for Visions Federal Credit Union. “The Guide to Summer Wellness will help keep heart health top of mind for our community throughout the busy summer months with easy to follow weekly tips.”
The program launches on May 22nd, with the first week focusing on the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association wellness assessment called My Life Check. The online assessment tool can give you a starting point for your summer heart health. It is available at mylifecheck.heart.org. For the rest of the Guide to Summer Wellness, follow the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association at @HeartCNY on Twitter and @AHANewYork on Facebook.
Heart Hall of Fame Award Recipients
| Volunteer of the Year | Heart Walk Logistics Committee members:
Brian DeBoyace Megan Farmer Sonia Galan Jeff Greenblott Rich Greene Candy Hamm Brian Peacock Julie Roney George Cummings Heather Sodon |
| Community Champion Award | KW Fitness, Kevin and Mandy Webb |
| Spirit of Heart Award | Team Wayne and Friends |
| Heartsaver Hero Awards | Jonathan Fleming
Ralph Fuller Sony Jean-Phillipe Amber Scarinzi |
| National Wear Red Day Fundraising Companies | 1st place – The Raymond Corporation
2nd place – Security Mutual Life 3rd place – Tioga State Bank |
| Top Jump Rope For Heart Fundraising Schools | 1st place – Port Dickinson Elementary School
2nd place – Chenango Bridge Elementary School 3rd place – Apalachin Elementary School |
| Southern Tier Heart Walk Chairman | Tim Strong |
| Southern Tier Heart Walk Executive Leadership Team | Kathy Connerton
Mario DiFulvio Paul Lawrence Phyllis Leuci Mark Mushalla Keith O’Hara Erin O’Hara-Leslie Kim Pilarchik Joe Sawyer Towhee Shupka Rob Warholic |
| Southern Tier Heart Walk Logistics Chairman | Jeff Greenblott |
| Southern Tier Heart Walk Logistics Committee | Brian DeBoyace
Megan Farmer Sonia Galan Jeff Greenblott Rich Greene Candy Hamm Brian Peacock Julie Roney George Cummings Heather Sodon |
| Top Heart Walk Fundraising Companies | 1st place – UHS
2nd place – Visions Federal Credit Union 3rd place – Weis Markets |
| Top Heart Walk Fundraising Teams | 1st place – Weis Markets
2nd place – Visions Federal Credit Union 3rd place – Team MegaStent 4th place – Kim P Cardiology 5th place – Walk ‘em Sock ‘em Robots 6th place – Colonial Voluntary Benefits 7th place – Horizons Federal Credit Union |
| Top Heart Walk Fundraising Community Teams | 1st place – Team Wayne and Friends
2nd place – Heart Cup Hockey 3rd place – Stroke Support Group |
| Top Heart Walk Individual Fundraisers | 1st place – tie: Mario DiFulvio and Tim Strong
3rd place – Maureen Reynolds 4th place – Rico DiCamillo 5th place – Jeff Greenblott |
| Heart Walk Inspirational Honorees | Andrea Witteman |
| Southern Tier Heart Walk Sponsors | National sponsor – Subway
Platform sponsor – Visions Federal Credit Union AVANGRID/NYSEG Guthrie Health Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Holiday Inn Binghamton Horizons Federal Credit Union Lourdes Hospital On Point Productions William H. Lane, Inc. Lockheed Martin – Owego The Victor and Esther Rozen Foundation UHS BAE Systems Columbian Financial Group Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP Security Mutual Life Weis Markets IBM Endicott Andrew R. Mancini Associates Inc. Hinman, Howard, Kattell Tioga State Bank Akel Wholesale Grocery i3 Electronics J & K Plumbing & Heating M&T Bank Matco Electric Corporation NBT Bank Rockwell Collins
Media Sponsors: Magic 101.7fm Press 7 Sun Bulletin WICZ TV WNBF News Radio 1290 |
| Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Gold Plus and Stroke Silver Plus | UHS Wilson Medical Center |
| Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus | Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital |
| Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus and Target: Stroke Honor Roll | Guthrie Corning Hospital |
| Get With The Guidelines® Stroke Gold Plus and Target: Stroke Elite Honor Roll | Arnot Ogden Medical Center |