TriHealth Helps Raise $75,000 for Heart Mini
March 21, 2012
TriHealth team members, along with their friends and family, helped raise more than $75,000 for the Heart Mini Marathon events held March 18, 2012 in downtown Cincinnati.
In total, the Heart Mini events generated approximately $2 million for the American Heart Association, which will be used to fight heart disease and stroke, the nation's number one and number three killers.
Erica Minner, 27, who competed in the 5K Heart Run but also runs marathons, knows first-hand how important heart research and proper treatment can be. She's had a pacemaker since 2006.
"Once the problem was diagnosed and we realized it was treatable, it helped me to live a fuller life," Minner said. "I'd been an athlete all my life and once I got my pacemaker, I looked at my doctor and said, 'I think I want to run a marathon one day.' He said, 'you're crazy for wanting to run it, but I don't see why you couldn't.'"
For the Daniel family of Amberley Village, heart disease hits especially close to home. Evelyn Jones-Daniel's sister died of a sudden heart attack at 54 years old and her father had cardiomyopathy. She, her husband Jeffrey, whose mother had a heart valve problem, and their son Harrison participated in the 5K Heart Run.
"In the past ten years, family members have passed away from heart disease, so we thought this was a great way to give back and raise awareness for this disease," Jeffrey Daniel said.
In all, more than 7,500 runners and walkers crossed finish lines during the Heart Mini events, made possible by hundreds of volunteers, including Leigh Blair-Wilson.
"I think it's energizing. My father had a stroke and we've had other people close to us affected by different heart disease," Blair-Wilson said. "This has been a really great experience for us to learn what the American Heart Association does and get more involved and even take better care of ourselves."