News

Run/Walk for heart health next Saturday

By Kevin Welsh ’15

February 21, 2013

While by most standards Utica is a small city, for one day every year its residents and neighbors come together to hold the fourth largest Heart Run/Walk in the country, raising 1.2 million dollars last year for the American Heart Association.

Last year, organizers Lecturer in Music Performance Colleen Pellman, William R. Kenan Professor of Biology Ernest Williams, Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Erin Glaser and Professor of French John O’Neal lead 196 Hamiltonians in the Run/Walk and raised $8,000. This year they’re hoping to raise even more money and further Hamilton’s involvement in the remarkable event to help fight America’s most devastating disease.

Every year, more people are killed by heart disease than any other illness, including all cancers combined, and the Greatest American Heart Run/Walk is an annual, nation-wide fundraiser that supports the fight against it.

“Almost every person knows a family member or friend who has been affected by heart disease. Even babies and young children benefit from the work of the American Heart Association,” said Pellman.

She added, “my competitive side wants Hamilton to increase our total monies raised so that we can beat Colgate and maybe even Utica College!”

Utica College hosts the event at every year, and last year drew over 9,000 participants to its campus for different walks and run throughout the course of the day. Participants have the option to walk either three or five miles, and runners can choose between a three-, five-, 10- or 18- mile run. Each person is required to donate at least 25 dollars as an entrance fee, but gathering sponsors and raising even more money per person is always encouraged, and gifts are available for those who raise higher amounts.

Hamilton students can get involved this year either by registering online at www.uticaheartrunwalk.org and joining the Hamilton College team or by coming to Beinecke Student Activities Village this upcoming Tuesday, Feb. 26th, to register. Students, staff and faculty are all encouraged to register as either individuals from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. in Beinecke or as teams from 8:30 p.m.–10 p.m. Even if you register online before hand, everyone must go to the tables to pick up their bib numbers. The first 45 to do so will receive Heart Association hats.

Fraternities, sororities, sports teams, clubs and friends are all invited to make their own teams online and come together to the event on Saturday, March 2.

When asked why HamGives (formerly, Philanthropy Committee) decided to get involved in the Run/Walk this year Co-Chair Jose Vazquez ’15 said, “HamGives’s mission is to reach out to the community, and as the fourth largest Run/Walk in the nation there’s a lot of pride in this event for Utica—it’s Christmas. We’ve always been in competition with Colgate, and since Utica College is a partner as well, we feel that Hamilton should take a huge stake in the event as well.”

The Utica Heart/Run Walk serves as an outreach to the community, a fun charitable event to fight heart disease and a chance to outdo Colgate—a perfect combination for Hamilton.

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