HOUSTON – On Saturday, Nov. 16, Lone Star College (LSC) students, faculty and staff joined thousands of community members at LSC-University Park to participate in the 2019 American Heart Association’s (AHA) Northwest Harris County (NWHC) Heart Walk. This is the fifth consecutive year LSC-University Park has hosted the Heart Walk, which engages the community to raise awareness and over $300,000 per year for a great cause.
“As the community’s college, partnering with the AHA to host the Heart Walk and our strong support of this cause is important to us because it will positively impact our community’s well-being and prosperity,” said Dr. Shah Ardalan, LSC-University Park president. “We are proud to open our campus and our hearts to our community and are grateful to the sponsors, donors, walkers, volunteers, community leaders, companies and educational partners that help make the event a success each year. We are able to better serve our community through alliances like the one we share with the AHA.”
This year, over $310,000 has been raised to help find a cure for heart disease and stroke through research, health care quality improvement, advocacy, prevention and education. The fundraising total is expected to climb as additional donations are accepted through Dec. 31.
Dr. Ardalan chaired the 2016 Heart Walk and has been an active member of the AHA’s Executive Leadership Team. Under his leadership, LSC-University Park teams exceeded their $10,000 goal and raised nearly $17,000 for this important event. Over 500 students, faculty, staff, administrators and family members from LSC participated this year.
Meghan Collins, AHA corporate market director, praised LSC-University Park’s sponsorship and fundraising in AHA’s efforts to finding a cure for heart disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 5 leading causes of death respectively.
“I look forward to continuing to work alongside LSC-University Park’s administration, employees, student and community to support the mission of the AHA,” Collins said. “Working with LSC-University Park gives us a unique opportunity to broaden our reach and further the impact of our work. Together, I know we are making our community a healthier place.”
While individuals get involved in the walk for several different reasons, the message behind the event is very personal. One of the AHA’s supporters, Shannon Hausinger, director of the Student Learning Resource Center at LSC-University Park, was shocked in 2014 when her doctor told her she could have a heart attack at any moment and had to have emergency open-heart surgery. Now, Hausinger emphasizes the importance of going to the doctor routinely.
“Go to the doctor, and if the doctor tells you to get a test, get the test. It’s been my experience that good doctors don’t typically ask you to get tests that they don’t think you need,” Hausinger said. “If I had been stubborn and had not gone, again, I don’t know what would have happened.”
By 2020, the AHA is aiming to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by the same percentage. Through education and providing resources on exercise, nutritious eating and overall signs and symptoms of illness, the AHA is working to make an extraordinary impact and help save lives from heart health-related illnesses.
Hausinger, still involved with the AHA years later, says the organization supplied her with great educational content to teach her about women’s heart health and what she can do to keep her heart healthy for years to come. Visit the LSC-University Park Heart Walk page at LoneStar.edu/UPHeartWalk2019 to learn more and donate.
