The American Heart Association hosted the Columbus, Ohio Heart Walk to raise funds for those affected by heart disease.
doTERRA provides many Wellness Advocates with an outlet to promote health and wellness in their communities and social circles. However, some Wellness Advocates, like Amber Cox, go beyond sharing with friends and family—they reach out to volunteer within their communities and support important causes. Wellness Advocate and registered nurse Amber Cox participated in this year’s Columbus, Ohio Heart Walk, put on by the American Heart Association in August of 2015. Amber participated alongside several of her coworkers as they represented OhioHealth, a family of not-for-profit, faith-based hospitals and healthcare organizations.
Collectively, the OhioHealth family was the largest team at the 2015 Columbus Heart Walk, with over 2,500 employees and family members walking. During the months leading up to the Columbus Heart Walk, Amber and hundreds of other OhioHealth employees worked to raise funds for the event. As the second largest donor for the Heart Walk, OhioHealth raised over $185,000 for the cause. In total, the American Heart Association raised $1.6 million at this year’s Heart Walk in Columbus.
The funds raised for the American Heart Association at the Columbus Heart Walk will be used for community outreach and resources to educate and empower those at risk for or affected by heart disease in both the Columbus area and other communities around the country. This kind of community outreach includes educating community members about cardiac prevention, risk factors, healthy eating, and more. The funds will also be used to provide free heart checkups, CPR education, and special outreach programs for children.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, killing over 375,000 people per year.1 Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and a poor diet contribute to heart disease and strokes. Because many of these conditions are preventable, organizations like the American Heart Association strive to promote education and prevention techniques in hopes of lowering the number of deaths caused by heart disease and strokes.
As a registered nurse who has worked in an emergency department and cardiovascular lab, Amber felt motivated to participate in the Heart Walk because she has seen first-hand the effects that heart disease and strokes have on her patients. She enjoyed working with other OhioHealth coworkers to support the American Heart Association’s cause, and promote education and empowerment for patients and their families.
Click here to find a local Heart Walk near you.
