Over the last decade, the Darling family of Rhode Island has made it their mission to walk against heart disease and stroke, the no.1 and no.5 killers in our nation. Since 2010, walking as Team Ben, the family has raised over $175,000 for the American Heart Association.
The Darlings walk in honor of their son Ben, who was born with four congenital heart defects. A congenital heart defect (CHD) results when the heart, or blood vessels near the heart, don’t develop normally before birth. (Ben Darling pictured over the years below with American Heart Association volunteer Sue Trinque dressed as “tinker.”)
“We are walking together – not only for our own health, but also for yours,” shared Christine Darling on their team page.
The Southern New England 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. The Heart Walk is a time of celebration, joy, and inspiration. It’s also an event where people work together to support one single goal – to create a world free of heart disease and stroke.
“Heart Walk volunteers like Ben, his family, and his team members are what make Heart Walk such a great community event,” shared Gretta Jacobs the Southern New England Heart Walk Director. “They share their stories, inspire others, exchange knowledge and raise valuable funds that support the association’s life saving mission. They are what it’s all about.”
Be a relentless force. Be a supporter of critical research. Be a lifesaver. Be a part of an unstoppable team. Join us now and walk to save more lives. If you would like to donate to a Team you can click the link here or email gretta.ja[email protected].