Rochester, NY – – Over 4,000 individuals braved the cold temperatures this morning to help fight heart disease and stroke at the Rochester Heart Walk & Run today, at Frontier Field. The event was a celebration of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s year-round opportunities to create a healthier Rochester. The Rochester Heart Walk & Run presenting sponsor was Paychex.
This year marks the 28th year the Rochester Heart Walk has taken place. It was the third year of the 5K Run timed by Fleet Feet Sports/YellowJacket Racing. This year the Run was presented by Xceed Financial.
Marty Mucci, President and CEO of Paychex, chaired the 2018 Heart Walk & Run. It raised $760,000 up over last year which raised $748,000. Money raised will fund critical research, education, advocacy, community programs and awareness.
“I’m proud to have chaired this successful event for the American Heart Association. We have had a tremendous amount of support from throughout our community, including more than 800 Paychex employees and family members,” says Martin Mucci, Paychex president and CEO and 2018 Rochester Heart Walk & Run chair. The Rochester community not only supported the event financially but participated in helping create a healthier community.
Each year a local honoree is celebrated with the Lifestyle Change award, sponsored by CooperVision. Drew Marshall, Jr., from Wegmans was selected from nominations submitted.
“Drew is why CooperVision is committed to health and wellness through our corporate culture and local initiatives,” said Inga Grote-Ebbs, Marketing Director, of CooperVision. “He exemplified a proactive approach to his health because he took steps to lead a healthier lifestyle before he had a health event. He substituted small changes that cumulatively made a big difference in his life. He is a role model for others in our community who don’t know if they can make the change, but know they want to start small or start somewhere. Within 2 years, Drew lost more than 200 pounds, an incredible accomplishment and shining example.”
A signature feature of the Rochester Heart Walk and Run was the media challenge, sponsored by U of R Medicine. Local media participated for the second year in a row, inviting members of our community to join their walk teams in support of the Rochester Heart Walk & Run. The campaign kicked off in February and ran until the day of the Heart Walk and Run. The winners will be announced within a week of the Walk & Run, in a live video by the Dixon Schwabl social media team at www.DixonSchwabl.com.
Mucci also announced the co-chairs for the 2019 Rochester Heart Walk & Run, Dan Burns, Senior Vice President and President of M&T Bank Rochester region and Donna Shultz President and CEO of Mirror Show Management.
Heart Walk and Run participants celebrated a healthy lifestyle by walking or running with co-workers, friends and family, and learning about their risk for heart disease and stroke. Volunteers from Rochester Regional Health and UR Medicine were on hand to do blood pressure screenings. Blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. Stroke is the No. 5 killer nationally and the No.3 killer in Rochester.
Other activities included a photo-op area by photographer John Schlia, healthy snacks by Wegmans, coffee courtesy of Tim Horton’s and water courtesy of Amiela’s Original Subs.
Scott Hetsko of WHAM-TV and Bill Moran of iHeart Radio emceed the Heart Walk & Run. Sound was courtesy of CMI. The National Anthem was sung by Emma Santizo of Fairport High School. The overall 5K Female Open winner was Jillian Kosinski with a time of 20:48 and Bill Weber was the Male Open winner with a time of 20:47.
Donations are still being accepted online at www.Rochesterheartwalkrun.org. For more information, visit www.heart.org/RochesterNY or call the American Heart Association at 585.371.3117.
About the Rochester Heart Walk & Run
The Rochester Heart Walk & Run presenting sponsor is Paychex. Other local sponsors include UR Medicine, Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield, Rochester Regional Health, CooperVision, Wegmans Food Markets, Bergmann Associates, SWBR Architects, Dixon Schwabl, WHAM 1180, Mix 100.5, Radio 95.1, WHAM ABC TV, Xceed Financial Credit Union, RCare Inc., Constellations Brands, Alesco Advisors, Burke Group, ER Select, ESL Federal Credit Union, LeChase Construction, M&T Bank, MVP Health Care, New York Beef Council, The Bonadio Group, Workers United Rochester Regional-Joint Board, RIT, St. John Fisher College, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co., CMI, Eric Mower & Associates, Kodak Alaris, Monroe Community College, ProCarpet Inc.
**Other photos available upon request
MEDIA CONTACT: Jackie Mangione, Regional Communications Director, American Heart Association
C/585.967.7749 E/[email protected]
About the Rochester American Heart Association The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke “ America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers in Rochester. 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 American Heart Association is dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved with the Rochester affiliate, call 1-585-371-3112, visit the local website www.heart.org/RochesterNY. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.