There aren’t many social events that Spartanburg hasn’t seen or pioneered in the last 100 years.
But on April 17, the City will play host to its first-ever Heart Walk & Health Hustle, hosted by the American Heart Association.
The 3.1-mile walk will start at 5:15 p.m. at Fifth Third Park on West Henry Street.
More than just another community event, however, the Heart Walk is not only intended as a fun family outing, but a way to stress the importance of living healthy to avoid every kind of persistent heart disease.
“While we’re extremely proud of the progress that’s been made over the last several years, our work is far from over,” said Ashley Coleman, executive director for the Upstate Association. “We hope our community will join us in making this an unforgettable Heart Walk season.”
Heart Walk is the American Heart Association’s largest community-facing initiative. Each year, over 1 million people in more than 300 locations across the country walk to help raise more than $100 million to fund breakthroughs that save lives every day.
This year, you could be one.
“The Heart Association has fueled groundbreaking research and education efforts that have changed how we understand, prevent, and treat heart disease and stroke,” Coleman said. “80 cents of every dollar we raise goes back to funding research and programs – and we are always looking for passionate volunteers.”
And walkers make up a vital part of this effort.
For example, the Association’s first nationwide Heart Walk took place in 1992.
But the precursor goes back to 1948. That year, “Truth or Consequences,” which began as a radio show before becoming a staple of 1960s TV, held a nationwide Walking Man Contest to ‘help lick America's No. 1 killer: heart disease.’
The effort came 24 years after The Heart Association’s founding by six cardiologists who wanted to change what one of them called “an unbelievable ignorance about heart disease.”
Since then, the Association has grown into an international organization with more than 35 million volunteers and supporters, and 144 local offices throughout the U.S.
And while much has changed and improved, one thing unfortunately remains the same now as in 1948, 1992, and all the way back to 1921 before the Association began: Heart disease is still the number one cause of death in the U.S.
More than 350,000 people in the U.S. experience a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital, and nearly 90 percent are fatal.
Globally, World Health Organization leaders estimate that 19.8 million people died of cardiovascular disease in 2022 – a 13.1 percent increase from 2012.
And unless what medical experts term as poor daily behaviors begins to improve on a large scale, cardiovascular disease is expected to remain the No. 1 cause of death for a long time to come.
“Unhealthy eating habits, increased consumption of alcohol, lack of physical activity and the mental toll of quarantine isolation and even fear of contracting the virus all can adversely impact a person’s risk for cardiovascular health,” said Salim S. Virani, M.D., and associate professor in cardiology and cardiovascular research sections at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Tex., in 2021 shortly after the COVID virus became prevalent.
But he added that heart health can be vastly improved with a simple change in diet and everyday lifestyle to include items such as eating healthy, quitting tobacco, getting more sleep, and of course becoming more active.
And there is one other thing, albeit it optional: become an American Heart Association volunteer. After all, it’s hard to keep bad habits when you’re around people and events that encourage better hearts.
“We're looking forward to reaching even more of our neighbors through our inaugural Spartanburg Heart Walk,” said Coleman. "Together, we can build an Upstate of lifesavers."
