The American Heart Association Tucson has transformed its virtual fundraising walk into the Tucson Heart & Stroke Walk Digital Experience.
The event is accessible at TucsonHeartWalk.org throughout the weekend of April 24-25.
βWe were one of Tucsonβs first events to switch to digital last year and were able to establish a template for success when it comes to a digital format with a message that hits home for a lot of people, which is just to get moving where you are,β said Krystal Webb, communications and marketing director of the American Heart Association Tucson.
βWe want people to be active in their own neighborhoods where they can exercise safely, and lots of people are really excited to do that for the second year in a row.β
The virtual walk opening ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 24; participants can join by visiting @AHAArizona on Facebook. The program will include tips for a heart-healthy walk at home and participants are encouraged to post pictures and videos of activity using #TUCHeartWalk.
Registration is free, but fundraising is encouraged; the event seeks to raise at least $200,000 and is one of the largest local benefits of the year for the American Heart Association.
Proceeds are dedicated to lifesaving research; advocacy efforts (including tobacco control and prevention); CPR training including hand-only CPR for local students and community members; and public education and school-based programs that address heart and brain health, healthy eating and physical fitness.
Webb said that historically, dollars raised locally for the American Heart Association are returned two-fold to the community through support of research at the University of Arizona, where it is currently funding seven active grants totaling more than $1.3 million. She emphasized that in the wake of COVID-19, research is valued more than ever.
βPeople know that without medical research there is no way we would have had a vaccine for COVID so quickly. The success of the vaccine shows how important it is to support medical research in Southern Arizona and globally,β she said.
Moving forward, Webb expects research to include exploration of the potential connections between COVID and the heart, lungs and brain.
βRight now we are working with anecdotal evidence and the next step is to invest in research to investigate these connections. We need more scientific research into how this virus affects the heart and the whole body and people are passionate about supporting that effort along with our other research,β Webb said.
