The American Heart Association, the largest voluntary health organization fighting heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, announces Jill Hummel, president, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, as chair of the 2018 Greater New Haven Heart Walk. The 2018 New Haven Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, May 5. Registration opens at 9:00am and the Walk kicks off at 10:00am at Savin Rock in West Haven.
As chair, Jill Hummel will lead the organizational and recruitment efforts in the New Haven area. She will call on thousands of area volunteers, survivors, walkers, and business leaders to step up to reduce disability and death from cardiovascular disease and stroke, the leading cause of death in the United States.
“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States with over 7,000 deaths in Connecticut each year”, said Ms. Hummel. “Working with the American Heart Association in many capacities over the past several years, I am happy to have the opportunity to continue to promote health and wellness to help change these statistics and raise the funds needed to support such a critical cause. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield has been a strong supporter of the American Heart Association and we are committed to continue our support to advance this lifesaving mission.”
Each day, nearly 2,400 Americans die from a cardiovascular disease. That’s an average of one death every 37 seconds. A leading risk factor for heart attack and stroke is lack of physical activity. The New Haven Heart Walk encourages physical activity while raising funds to support research, advocacy and awareness of cardiovascular disease and stroke research has found that individuals may gain two hours of life expectancy for every one hour of regular, vigorous exercise they do.
To learn more about the Greater New Haven Heart Walk, or to find out about sponsorship opportunities, please call Emily Linley at (203) 295-2936 or go to www.NewHavenHeartWalk.org.
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