Saturday, hundreds of walkers in East Hartford took steps to end heart disease in the American Heart Association’s annual Hartford Heart Walk.
The organization says heart disease is the number one killer in this country and in Connecticut. Many of those participating in Saturday’s walk had a personal connection to heart disease.
“Heart disease hits every one of us. We all know somebody’s who’s got some issue with heart disease or stroke,” said Corliss Montesi of Cheshire.
Montes’s own diagnosis came on vacation. She said she broke her elbow and woke up in the hospital after a near-fatal reaction to her medication.
“My heart rate drops so low that I pass out and my heart stops,” Montesi explained.
Last year, Montesi rallied her coworkers at Stanley Black and Decker to sponsor the walk. One-hundred of them donned bright yellow t-shirts on Saturday to participate in the walk for the second year in a row.
Survivors like Montesi led the walk around Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Saturday, which drew more than 1,000 people. Organizers expected the three-mile walk to raise a quarter-of-a-million-dollars.
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The Hartford Heart Walk is one of the American Heart Association’s largest local fundraisers.
“The money goes to a lot of efforts here locally; one research. So, we want to support a lot of the scientific efforts that are going to tackle heart disease, but also a lot of the community based outreach efforts,” said Walk Chairperson Garth Graham.
Bob Hoffman is living proof that those dollars save lives. He says participating in the walk, after open heart surgery, is his way of saying thank you. He also visits with other heart patients in the hospital with the Mending Hearts organization.
“We go in there, we tell them we’re the real thing. I say, “here I am, 20 years later and I’m still in one piece,” said Hoffman.
He also walks every day. The American Heart Association says exercise is key to becoming heart healthy.
“Just get moving and be active. We shoot for at least 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. You can do simple things like take the stairs or park further away. It doesn’t mean you’re running a marathon,” said Judy Campisi, Executive Director of the Connecticut chapter of the American Heart Association.
The organization also says that one hour of brisk walking or similar physical activity can add two hours to your life. It’s advice Campisi hopes people take to heart.
