Thanks extended to sup­porters of heart walk

As co-chairpersons of the recent American Heart Association 2003 Middlesex-Union County American Heart Walk, we want to thank Middlesex County. Thanks to the great support from residents, businesses, organizations and volunteers throughout Middlesex County, the recent American Heart Walk event was a great success.

Featuring the theme "Step Out, Save Lives! — Exercise Your Heart!," close to 2,500 people joined us at Middlesex-Union County American Heart Walk to raise more than $220,000 and help bring attention to the importance of living a physically active life.

Thanks to the community’s support of Middlesex-Union County American Heart Walk, more people will have a fighting chance to beat heart disease and stroke — our state’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers.

On behalf of the American Heart Association, we encourage everyone throughout Middlesex County to be physically active and exercise 30 minutes or longer on most days of the week.

Money raised from American Heart Walk benefits all of us. Whether through research advances such as heart valve replacement, the pacemaker or the implanted defibrillator, or through free materials and resources, education and community programs, dollars raised from American Heart Walk help save the lives of our loved ones, family members, neighbors and friends.

The success of Middlesex-Union County American Heart Walk would not have been possible without the support provided by volunteers, sponsors and teams.

We want to acknowledge the special contributions to Middlesex-Union County American Heart Walk by national presenting sponsors, Subway and NutriSoy; local red-cap level sponsors Johnson & Johnson and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital; silver-level sponsor, PNC Bank; and official media sponsors, News 12 New Jersey, WMGQ 98.3 FM and AM 1450 WCTC.

Step out, save lives — exercise your heart. Make exercise a regular part of your life and join us for 2004 Middlesex-Union County American Heart Walk. For more information about heart disease, stroke, exercise or American Heart Walk, visit the American Heart Association online at www.americanheart.org or call 1-800-242-8721.

Dr. John Bakum

Kevin MacConnell

Barbara Jones

Co-chairs

2003 Middlesex-Union County

Heart Walk