PORTAGE, Mich. — Hundreds of community members gathered Saturday for a walk to save lives.
The American Heart Association hosted its signature KalamazooHeart Walk at theCelery Flats Historical Area in Portage.
The event placed an emphasis on the importance of CPR, and offered CPR training to attendees.
“It’s a very simple skill that can very easily save a life. Really anyone can do it and so the mission of the AHA is to equip as many people as possible with that skill,” said Caleb Porter of the American Heart Association.
The fundraising event also promoted physical fitness,one of the most proactive ways to combat cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Attendees chose between a 1.5 mile route, and a 3 mile route throughthe Portage Creek Bicentennial Park.
Also speaking at the event wasScott Williams, a cardiac arrest survivor, and the two doctors who were nearby and performed CPR on him for 22 minutes and saved his life.
News Channel 3 was a proud sponsor of the event, which was hosted by our own Kirk Mason, a heart attack survivor.