Kathy Breno
The American Heart Association has named Kathy Breno, Marketing Director at Matthew’s Auto Group, as chairwoman of the 2023 Southern Tier Heart Walk. In this role, Breno is charged with a $300,000 fundraising goal to support the lifesaving work of the American Heart Association.
The Southern Tier Heart Walk is the signature event of the American Heart Association’s Heart Challenge program, which is designed to help companies positively impact employee overall health and wellbeing. The program is anchored in a series of customizable workplace events that inspires employees to be more engaged, reconnect with colleagues, get in their physical activity, support a great cause and have a lot of fun doing it.
“Our employees love it that we’re taking an active role in getting them healthy and trying to get the community healthier,” said Breno. “It’s a fun event, and who doesn’t want healthier and happier employees?”
The Southern Tier Heart Walk, now in its 34th year, will be held on Sunday, April 23rd at Otsiningo Park. The Heart Walk unites the community in celebrating health and honoring survivors with a three mile walk around the park.
The funds raised at all Heart Walk events fund the mission of the American Heart Association to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives while supporting priority issues in the Southern Tier. Priorities include research, advocacy, CPR training and to promote better health in support of the Association’s 2024 Health Equity Impact Goal, reducing barriers to health care access and quality.
“The timing was really perfect for me,” Breno said of her reasons for being chairwoman. “My own mother ended up having cardiac issues this past year and ended up having a pacemaker installed. It really, truly was a miraculous device. I realized that this was the right time for me because it really hit home, not just from a professional basis but from a personal standpoint, as well. The work and the research the American Heart Association does was invaluable in saving my own mother’s life.”
To learn more about engaging your workforce in Heart Walk events, or to join Kathy Breno and other area executives, visit www.SouthernTierHeartWalk.org or contact Franklin Fry for more information.