The American Heart Association (AHA) is on a mission to be Healthy for Good every day. The approach is simple, eat smart, be well and of course MOVE MORE! In April our focus is to get everyone to move more and sit less with the help of workplaces, communities and people like you.
The AHA and Live Fierce sponsor, Sheehy Auto Stores, challenged local companies and community members in an annual continuous virtual walking event on the Greater Washington Region’s Move More Day, Wednesday, April 14! The day serves as a spring kick-off to the year-round Heart Challenge campaign where individuals and companies across the region unite as a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.
“We are thrilled to once again support Move More Day because we want everyone to know that taking small steps add up to big changes in health and well-being,” said Vince Sheehy, President of Sheehy Auto Stores. “I am so proud of our employees and their enthusiasm around our work with the American Heart Association.” To date, Sheehy’s fundraising efforts have raised almost $2 million for the American Heart Association. 
Hundreds of employees and individuals from a total of 17 companies and organizations walked throughout the day sending in their step count that went toward their team’s total. Participants also shared their steps on social media using #MoveMoreDC.
Military Hearts Matter recorded the highest organization total during the day, with their 181 participants walking from around the world tracking just shy of a combined two million steps!
Last year’s Move More DC victors, the DMV Links, came in a close second place and were only 100,000 steps behind the Military Heart Matters team. They fielded 191 walkers representing 36 chapters of the Links Incorporated from across the country, a growth from
the previous year!
Sheehy Auto Stores stepped into third place with a whopping 781,396 steps with many of their dealerships participating. Sheehy Ford of Warrenton was the winner of their internal step challenge with a total of 241,408 steps.
In total, all the amazing #MoveMoreDC supporters walked for over 6.2 million steps totaling approximately 3,100 miles which is about 300 miles shy of making it from Washington, DC to London, England! No matter what the placing, enthusiastic responses rang out from those who walked:
“Together, we united focused in friendship, fitness and fun,” said Michelle Bailey, DMV Links Team Captain-Arlington (VA) Chapter.
“We knew our community would step up, but we had no idea how much. It was so much fun to connect with one another around the world and see the support from, and for, our military community pour in,” said Holly Vega, Military Hearts Matter.
“Our staff had a great time,” said Denise Kessler, CVCA.
The Move More Step Challenge is one of the many fun ways to engage in the American Heart Association’s Heart Challenge. A suite of activities that includes the Greater Washington Region Heart Walk, locally sponsored by Sheehy Auto Stores and Kaiser Permanente, CycleNation, and year-round activities like step challenges and more, the Heart Challenge has a goal to get people to move more and raise funds in support of the American Heart Association. Funds raised by the annual campaign lead to medical breakthroughs, support community health priorities, transform healthcare systems, enact stronger public health policy, and much more.
Get involved today at www.GreaterWashingtonHeartWalk.org.