UNMC and Nebraska Medicine walkers teamed to raise $11,632 for this year’s American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Heart Walk earlier this month. There were 22 UNMC and Nebraska Medicine teams and 189 med center participants. Overall, the event raised $508,342.
The Heart Walk is the American Heart Association’s premier event in the community. It promotes physical activity and heart-healthy living in a fun, family environment.
“The goal of the walk is to encourage participants to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke, live a healthier more physically active lifestyle and raise critical funds needed for research and education,” said Crystal Pitschka, corporate events director for the American Heart Association. “It is also a day to celebrate those who have been personally affected by CVD (cardiovascular disease) and stroke as well as their families/caretakers.”
New this year, participants were asked to join a 30-day Move More Challenge. The challenge was designed to get participants more active throughout the month by logging the amount of time they spent moving, with a goal of reaching 150 minutes each week. Out of the 21 companies that participated in the challenge, the med center finished first, logging over 48,000 minutes and beating out the second-place team by more than 39,000 minutes.
Heart disease is the nation’s current leading cause of death. Individuals who are regularly physically active have about half the risk of developing or dying from coronary artery disease.