Get healthy for good at the Berks County Heart Walk

The American Heart Association invites workplaces, community groups, friends and family from across Berks County to take steps to become Healthy For Good at the 2017 Berks County Heart Walk. The Heart Walk is set for Saturday, Sept. 23, at Gring’s Mill Recreation Area, 2083 Tulpehocken Road, Reading. Festivities begins at 8:30 a.m. and the walk steps off at 10 a.m.

This year’s Heart Walk is about more than just walking – it’s about taking a variety of small, sustainable steps toward a healthier and more active life. Whether you want to try yoga, hulahooping or jump rope, get your blood pressure checked, learn Hands-Only CPR, or sample a healthy snack, the Heart Walk will have something for participants of all ages. The event will culminate with a noncompetitive 1-mile or 2.5mile fitness walk through Gring’s Mill Recreation Area.

The fundraising goal for the 2017 Berks County Heart Walk is $80,000. Walkers who raise a minimum of $100 will receive a Heart Walk t-shirt and the opportunity to receive additional prizes based on their fundraising levels.

The Heart Walk is part of the American Heart Association’s Healthy For Good movement to encourage sustainable healthy lifestyle changes. Dollars raised will support the American Heart Association’s lifesaving mission to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 killers, through supporting heart disease and stroke research, health care quality improvement, advocacy, prevention and education.

The 2017 Berks County Heart Walk is chaired by Amy Team, CEO of HealthSouth Reading Rehabilitation Hospital. The Heart Walk is sponsored locally by East Penn Manufacturing, HealthSouth Reading Rehabilitation Hospital, EnerSys, Reading Health System, Lehigh Valley Business Coalition on Healthcare, and Stevens & Lee.

For more information about the Berks County Heart Walk, visit www. heart.org/berkspawalk or call 215-527-1712.