American Heart Association

chambersburg@herald-mail.com GREENCASTLE, Pa. - More walkers and more corporate participation resulted in a lot more money for the 11th annual American Heart Walk, which raised approximately $93,000 Sunday, organizers said. The amount raised was $18,000 above the $75,000 goal set by the Franklin/Fulton Division of the American Heart Association and much more than the $54,000 raised last year, according to Sharon Strike, the division's director of corporate events. Last year, about 365 people registered for the 4.8-mile walk that begins and ends at the Tayamentasachta Environmental Center.

GREENCASTLE, PA. - The Franklin/Fulton Division of the American Heart Association will host its annual Heart Walk on Sunday at the Tayamentasachta Environmental Center. Registration for the 5-mile walk through the Greencastle area begins at 12:45 p.m. followed by a pre-walk program, according to the association. The walk begins at 1:30 p.m. The goal of this year's walk is to raise $75,000 in corporate, group and individual contributions, according to Sharon Strike, the corporate events director for the Heart Association.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com CHAMBERSBURG, Pa.. - "It's Personal," the theme for this year's American Heart Association Heart Walk, is one that resonates with Jamie Reynolds of Chambersburg. A registered nurse and mother of a 2-year-old boy, Reynolds was a patient rather than a healer 15 years ago when her heart was damaged by a viral infection. What was first thought to be a sinus infection progressed from shortness of breath to severe chest pains. "I could feel my heart racing," she said.

While a student at Hagerstown Community College, Carol Grove said her father wasn't exactly thrilled when she decided to change her major from business to nursing. Today, 14 years later, the Washington County Hospital nurse educator is thankful she did. She never dreamed she'd use her training to save her father's life. It happened on May 20, 2003, a day Grove and her family say they never will forget. "It was pretty bad. It was pretty scary," Grove said, recalling the ordeal that started with a phone call from her mother, Gloria "Jean" Shives.

In 2003, cardiovascular disease was listed as the reason for admission in more than 6 million hospitalizations. Many factors increase a person's risk for developing heart disease; some of them can be controlled. These are called modifiable risk factors. One in every five deaths due to heart disease is caused by smoking. According to Pam Peitz, manager of Washington County Hospital's Cardiac Rehab and Congestive Heart Failure programs, quitting smoking greatly reduces one's risk of heart disease.

Cardiovascular or heart disease is the leading cause of illness and death in the United States and accounts for more than 50 percent of all deaths. A multitude of factors that can increase a person's risk for cardiovascular disease. Some of those can be controlled by behavioral choices, such as smoking and eating habits. However, there are other factors that an individual cannot control. Heredity, age, gender and race are among the factors that increase the risk for heart disease.

chambersburg@herald-mail.com GREENCASTLE, Pa. - State Sen. Terry Punt and Ariana Geesaman were among those who donned red caps at Sunday's 10th annual American Heart Walk, signifying that the 54-year-old politician and the 4-year-old Fayetteville, Pa., girl both were survivors of heart disease. "Next month will be five years since I had a heart attack," Punt, R-Franklin, told the several hundred people who gathered at Tayamentasachta Environmental Center for the Heart Walk.

The First National Bank of Greencastle gears up at the Tayamentasachta Environmental Center, East Leitersburg Street, Greencastle, Pa., to kick off the ninth annual American Heart Walk, scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 29, at 1 p.m. The walk is 4.8 miles long and will be held rain or shine. A 1.3 mile bypass route will be available for those with special needs. Teams or individual walkers can register to participate in the event by calling the American Heart Association at 1-717-263-2870.

Seminar at nursing home to explore various fats WILLIAMSPORT - A seminar titled "Fats: the Good, the Bad and the Trans," will be presented Tuesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at Williamsport Nursing Home, 154 N. Artizan St. Lisa McCoy of American Heart Association will explain how fats differ, which are the healthiest and how to identify them. Special attention will be paid to trans-fat, the most dangerous. Refreshments will be provided. Call 301-223-7971 to reserve a seat.

How to make your lifestyle heart-healthy February is Heart Health Month and a good time to consider what you're doing for the health of your heart. Heart disease doesn't develop overnight. You don't catch it like a cold or the flu. Nor is it likely to develop from a single cause. Rather, it's known as a "lifestyle disease," meaning that it develops, in part, because of certain habits or lifestyles. In the United States, we have plenty of lifestyles that contribute to heart disease.