The Chase Is On!

This fall, the AHA introduced an exciting new initiative to advance our mission and generate revenue in smaller communities throughout the country. HeartChase has been described as “Amazing Race meets Minute To Win It.” It is a volunteer-led, community-wide competition for teams to solve clues and complete activities in a race to the finish line. The SouthWest Affiliate has already hosted a few HeartChase events, and one of the most successful to date was held in Enid, Oklahoma.

Thanks to the volunteer leadership of Jackie Kaiser, Kerri Johnson, and others, the Enid HeartChase attracted 40 participants and raised $12,000 for the AHA’s life-saving research and educational programs. The ten participating teams included the mayor, the CEO of the presenting sponsor hospital, and Philip Clover, a cardiac rehab patient who completed the entire course with his walker. What an inspiration!

The event received great local media coverage and was truly the model of a successful volunteer-run event, where local residents came together to share their passion for making their community heart healthy.

 

Jennifer Jones, the AHA staff member who helped coordinate the event, commented that participants used the words “rewarding” and “fun” over and over throughout the course of the Chase. And perhaps most encouraging is that many of them are already planning to come back next year. In fact, the Enid team has already set a date for 2012, as well as a goal of raising $100,000 over the next five years.

 

The HeartChase initiative is being led nationwide by Dr. Mary Ann Bauman, a physician in Oklahoma City and President of the SouthWest Affiliate. HeartChase events are an opportunity to promote fitness and demonstrate that physical activity and healthy eating isn’t all hard work. This new concept is just getting started, and we would love for you to be a part of it. If you’re interested in volunteering or participating in any of our upcoming HeartChase events, please contact your local AHA office.

 

Coming soon to a community near you!

• Georgetown, TX – November 19
• Kingsville, TX – December 3
• McKinney, TX – February 11
• Plainview, TX – February 24
• New Braunfels, TX – February 25
• Nacogdoches, TX – March 3
• Muskogee, OK – March 24
• Mesquite, TX – April 21
• Santa Fe, NM – April 22

Spring Dates To Be Announced:

• Arkadelphia, AR
• Big Spring, TX
• Brenham, TX
• Cheyenne, WY
• Conway, AR
• Corsicana, TX
• Fort Collins, CO
• Fort Smith, AR
• Gainesville, TX
• Granbury, TX
• Marshall, TX
• Pueblo, CO
• Sherman, TX
• Victoria, TX
• Wylie, TX