Josslyn Stine, co-owner of Playa Bowls Hershey, located in the Park Village Plaza at 659 E. Main St, Hummelstown, has been named the American Heart Association Capital Region 2024 Leaders of Impact™ winner for her work driving equitable cardiovascular health in the community. In Dauphin County, life expectancy varies by 18 years[1] which can often be caused by social drivers of health, deeply rooted inequities related to public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations and other norms which often reinforce inequities in health.
Over the course of seven weeks, Stine participated in a fundraising competition alongside fellow Leaders of Impact nominee Will Alford, corporate partnership sales manager at Hershey Entertainment * Resorts. Stine was named the 2024 Leaders of Impact winner after raising the most funds.
“I am truly honored and grateful to the American Heart Association for the opportunity to be nominated as a Leader of Impact,” said Stine. “This experience has been both inspiring and transformative, encouraging me to think creatively and intentionally about how to make a difference in my community. I approach everyday life, instilling a deeper commitment to driving positive change. The work of the American Heart Association is extremely important, and I’m humbled to contribute to their mission of improving heart health and saving lives.”
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the U.S.1 In addition, an aging, more diverse population, along with a significant increase in heart disease and stroke risk factors among younger people are expected to nearly triple the nation’s price tag on cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 2050, according to new published projections from the American Heart Association.
For more than 100 years, the American Heart Association has driven change by removing barriers to health, investing in groundbreaking research, educating health care professionals and patients, and advocating for healthy policies. In the Capital Region, the Association is specifically focused on improving nutrition security, reducing uncontrolled hypertension and building our Nation of Lifesavers™ by providing more schools and community organizations with the tools they need to learn Hands-Only CPR.
Leaders of Impact launched on Oct. 17 in hundreds of cities across the nation and culminated on Dec. 4. Each nominee’s participation is focused on opportunities to be a changemaker with a shared purpose to raise critical awareness and fund the mission of the American Heart Association.
For more information about Leaders of Impact and a list of all the 2024 nominees, please visit leadersofimpact.heart.org.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data-visualization/life-expectancy/