Annual American Heart Walk set for Oct. 2 at USA
Mobile Register, September 14, 2004 Section: D Page: 1
Author: Busby

Participants in the American Heart Association Heart Walk will have a new path for next month's walk.

The University of South Alabama will be the site of this year's walk, which is being called "Walkin' on Sunshine." The Oct. 2 walk will begin on campus at the Mitchell Center.

"In the past the Heart Walk has been held at Providence Hospital, but we have outgrown Providence," said Ann Davis, regional director of the American Heart Association. "The walk is the biggest single event we have."

Last year 2,000 people walked to help raise money for heart disease research.

"Heart disease is the number one killer in Alabama," said Davis.

Participants have a choice of walking 3.7 miles or the shorter one mile walk.

Both begin at 9 a.m. on the same route. There is no fee to register for the walk, but they encourage walkers to get people to sponsor them in the walk. Davis, who is walking in honor of her mother who had a stroke, said you can walk in honor or memory of someone.

"If people can't walk and would like to be involved they can donate $100 for a sign to be placed along the walk in memory or honor of someone," said Davis.

To raise money, Davis created her own Web site and sent out 78 e-mails to friends asking them to give.

As a result, she raised almost $1,500.

Davis said any individual who raises $1,000 is eligible for a cruise for two. Walkers who raise $100 get a T-shirt.

In addition to the walk, Davis said, there will be other activities.

"It's a family day," she said. "We have face painting and clowns."

She said USA's mascot and cheerleaders will also be there.

Davis said last year the local association raised over $800,000 in the Mobile area from the walk and other fund-raising projects. She said when that was combined with the donation they received from the association's national headquarters, the local group was able to donate $1.2 million toward research.

The money raised locally remains in the Mobile area, going to the research department at the University of South Alabama's College of Medicine, she said.

CUTLINES: Some of the participants in the 2000 American Heart Walk make their way around the circuit at Providence Hospital. This year, the course is at the University of South Alabama KATE MERCER

This article reproduced with special permission from the Mobile Register.