Campus heart walk scheduled for weekend

The University of Southern Mississippi will host its annual Heart Walk on Saturday. The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Pride Field, and the walk will start at 9 a.m. The American Heart Association works to prevent, treat and defeat strokes, heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases. According to the American Heart Association website, these diseases are the United States’ number one and number four killers and claim over 800,000 American lives a year.

The mission of the AHA is to build healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases. A 10-year goal was set to minimize coronary heart disease, stroke and other diseases by 25 percent by 2010. With this goal accomplished, an even greater one has taken its place.

“This new goal looks beyond helping people reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke by focusing on helping them build stronger health and a better quality of life,” according to the AHA website.

The money raised by the association impacts several families by improving patient care, advocating for better health, reaching out to populations at risk, raising awareness, protecting the future and educating Americans.

The walk is routed to be a total of 3.1 miles around the USM campus, and over 3,000 Hattiesburg area residents are expected to join the Heart Walk to help raise money to fight these diseases. Each of the colleges at USM has an ongoing competition to see which college can raise the most money. The dean who raises the least amount has to kiss Oliver, a piggy bank. The total event goal is to raise $164,000.

For more information or to get involved, contact Heather Collins at 228-604-5310 or by email at heather.p.collins@heart.org.