This year's event was a great success! 337 You’re the Cure advocates from across the country met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill to advocate for legislation that helps prevent heart disease and stroke.

AND thousands of You’re the Cure advocates sent more than 12,600 messages to bolster our presence, including nearly 200 phone calls to congressional offices on the day of the event!  Our advocates in Washington, DC and at home, asked their legislators to help us with the following:

• Appropriating $35 billion for the National Institutes of Health to advance heart disease and stroke research;
• Securing co-sponsors for the FIT Kids Act to ensure increased quality physical education in our nation’s schools; and
• Building support for Safe Routes to Schools legislation to create heart-healthy and stroke-smart communities that foster physical activity.

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While they were here, advocates spent their time in training sessions learning how to continue to raise the profile for heart disease and stroke prevention. Feel free to check out some of the presentations they heard below:

Advocacy via Social Networking
Participants will learn some of the latest information about social media tools and how they can be used to make an impact on elected officials

• Mike Panetta, Beekeeper Group. View Mike's presentation here.

What’s on the State Agenda?
Participants received an overview of the issues of focus for AHA staff and volunteers in state capitals across the country.

• Jill Birnbaum (Vice President, State Advocacy and Public Health, AHA). View Jill's presentation here.
• Betsy Vetter (NC Director of Government Relations, AHA). View Betsy's presentation here.
• David Goff, Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology & Prevention, Wake Forest University School of Medicine). View David's presentation here.

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PHOTOS from the event!

www.flickr.com More in You're the Cure on the Hill 2011 pool

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Check out our CEO Nancy Brown, who helped us kick off the event in the video below:

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