Norris Public Relations Co.
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November 24, 2007 PRESS RELEASE


Chattanooga Hosts Heart Walk April 2008
The American Heart Association is sponsoring its annual Heart Walk in Chattanooga, Tenn. April 29, 2008 at the AT&T Field. The missions of the Heart Walk is to turn the corner on heart disease and stroke through initiative in prevention by letting people know that for every hour that someone walks they extend their lives two hours.

“It’s that simple!” says Allan Lewis, an American Heart Association Board Member and Director of Cardio Pulmonary Rehabilitation at Memorial Hospital. Lewis encourages all to come to the event in April and says there will be things for all ages to get involved in including aerobic exercises, booths to check blood pressure and signs of heart disease, a space walk for the kids, and of course the Heart Walk citing the beautiful landscape of the newly renovated Downtown Chattanooga. There will also be healthy foods such as bagels, oranges, and apples for everyone to dig in to. “We, as a nation, have to change our lifestyle, and that includes becoming more physically active, being more careful of what we eat and how much we eat, and certainly quitting smoking” says Lewis

This seems to be an agreed-upon opinion by Memorial Hospital Executive Assistant Judy Foster whom was diagnosed with diabetes in August 2006. “That was a very hard diagnosis for me!” says Foster, who has a family record of heart disease with her father and sister who both have had heart attacks and strokes. Since her diagnosis, she and her son Will have lost over 65 pounds by following the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk initiatives. “Will and I are still walking anywhere from three to six days a week and are counting calories, cause that’s an important part, paying attention to what you’re eating,” says Foster.

Foster, also a board member for the American Heart Association, has been in charge of raising money for the Heart Walk for Memorial Hospital the past four years, raising about $40,000 for last years Heart Walk. “We’ve been involved, and it’s been a lot of fun!” says Foster who feels her involvement with the Heart Walks has been a very positive experience. “It’s really doing something that makes a difference.”

The Heart Walks are a signature fund-raising event for the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association is expecting over a million walkers nationally to attend next year’s Heart Walk in over 600 events across the country. For more information about the American Heart Association and how you can get involved with the Heart Walk you can log on to their website at www.AmericanHeart.org.