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209 Heart and Stroke Walk raises nearly $300,000 to support cardiovascular health

 The American Heart Association’s annual event encourages the community to boost mental and physical health while funding community wellness. 

 STOCKTON, October 12, 2021 —The American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization focused on heart and brain health for all, reunited the 209 community in health at its premier annual event. This year’s 209 Heart and Stroke Walk encouraged participants to boost physical and mental health through healthy habits while supporting the organization’s lifesaving mission. The 209 Heart and Stroke Walk was sponsored by local Healthy for Good sponsors Adventist Health Lodi Memorial and Dameron Hospital and local Hard Hats with Heart sponsor Collins Electric Company, Inc. 

The 2021 Heart and Stroke Walk raised nearly $300,000, a banner year for the campaign. A highlight of the Walk is the $109,000 total impact, the largest in the event’s history, by Collins Electrical Company, Inc., through sponsorship, a company match for employee fundraising, and inviting their customers and suppliers to support their efforts. Along with Ball Metalpack, Collins Electrical Company, Inc.’s Marina Branch also received an award for Top Fundraising Corporate Team for raising over $10,000. 

“The past year has shown us that no matter where we are, we can come together for a common cause,” said 2021 Heart and Stroke Walk Chair Brian Gini, Co-CEO of Collins Electrical Company, Inc. “The Heart and Stroke Walk is all about promoting the health and well-being of our workforces and overall community while supporting the lifesaving mission of the American Heart Association.” 

Other Heart and Stroke Walk teams that made standout fundraising efforts include Ball Metalpack, Sutter Health, Jacob’s Heart led by Nicole and Joel Snyder, and Dr. Kathy Hart. 

The funds raised from the 209 Heart Walk go towards research, advocacy, CPR training and to promote better health in support of the Association’s 2024 Health Equity Impact Goal, reducing barriers to health care access and quality. 

This year’s theme, Heart Walk Here, invited participants to walk on the event path at the University of the Pacific in Stockton or on a path of their own to create maximum flexibility for participants. Walkers were encouraged to share how they got moving on social media using the hashtag #209HasHeart. 

The 209 Heart and Stroke Walk is the signature event of the American Heart Association’s Heart Challenge program which is designed to help companies positively impact employee overall health and wellbeing. The platform is anchored in a series of customizable workplace events and programs that inspires employees to be more engaged, reconnect with colleagues, get in their physical activity, support a great cause, and have a lot of fun doing it. 

Within Heart Challenge, organizations can participate in the American Heart Association’s Workforce Health Solutions program which offers a suite of science-based, evidence-informed tools and services to help build and maximize an effective workplace culture of health. We are proud to recognize the following local organizations who have joined the Healthy 209 Initiative and are participating in Workforce Health Solutions, locally sponsored by Adventist Health Lodi Memorial and Dameron Hospitals. 

Adventist Health Lodi Memorial City of Lodi Fire Department Child Abuse Prevention Council Collins Electrical Company, Inc. Community Center for the Blind Haggin Museum Hill Physicians Medical Group Kaiser Permanente Levi’s San Joaquin Regional Transit District Sanborn Chevrolet The Save Mart Companies Stockton Ports Trinchero Family Estates WhisperKOOL Yosemite Pathology Medical Group 

To learn more about the 209 Heart and Stroke Walk visit heart.org/209heartwalks. To learn how the American Heart Association is creating a culture of health and wellness in the 209 visit heart.org/stockton