The American Heart Association is pleased to announce that Doug Alexander, CEO of Focus Technology Solutions in Burlington, will chair the 2019 Boston Heart Walk.
Alexander, who co-chaired the 2018 Boston Heart Walk, is returning to lead an annual event that has been instrumental in innovative breakthroughs for more than 30 years.
Since the inception of the Heart Walk, mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases and stroke have plummeted by 45 percent. Each walker and donation helps save lives.
Alexander is returning to the Boston Heart Walk after co-chairing the 2018 campaign.
The mission is personal for Alexander.
Alexander had emergency bypass surgery after suffering a heart attack in 2015 at the age of 48. During his recovery, he resolved to not only take steps to improve his own health, but to inspire others to do the same.
“Each time you incorporate more physical activity into your day, you’re taking a step in the right direction,” said Alexander. “The key is to find activities you enjoy and make them part of your routine.”
The Boston Heart Walk is among 300 Heart Walks held in communities across the nation. Nearly one million people walk each year for a singular mission, to cure heart disease and stroke. This year, the Boston Heart Walk will be held on Saturday, Sept. 7. It begins at the Hatch Shell and offers participants the choice between 1, 3 or 6-mile routes along the Charles River Esplanade.
When someone laces up their sneakers or forms a Heart Walk team, they are instrumental in funding innovative breakthroughs. Donations help create new technologies, such as the artificial heart valve, cholesterol drugs, stents and the mechanical heart pump.
The Boston Heart Walk is expected to draw about 9,000 people to the Charles River Esplanade.
Each day, about 2,150 Americans die from heart disease – the No. 1 killer in the United States. Stroke, the No. 5 killer and a leading cause of severe disability, claims the lives of nearly 219,000 each year.
All members of the community are welcome to participate in the Heart Walk to help change the story of heart disease and stroke in Boston. Those who walk are committed to funding research that keeps hearts beating.
“The Heart Walk funds groundbreaking research and programs in Greater Boston that create a world of longer, healthier lives,” said Alexander. “I am honored to play a role in the promise of a healthier future.”
Alexander lives in North Andover with his wife, Kristine, and three sons, ages 22, 19 and 17. He brings a proven and consistent record of achievement and decades of leadership experience to Heart Walk. This year’s Boston walk is expected to draw 9,000 people and aims to raise $1.4 million.
Over the past 25 years, the American Heart Association has funded $3.4 billion in research. But the work is far from done. The Association is nearing the $5 billion mark as it works to fund big ideas to pioneer breakthroughs in our understanding and treatment of heart disease and stroke.
For more information or to register for the Boston Heart Walk, visit bostonheartwalk.org.