DECATUR, IL (October 18, 2011) Macon County Heart Walk volunteers gathered at a kickoff event tonight to announce the addition of a 5K run that will be organized by the Decatur Running Club, and the naming of the event after local patron Darrell Beck. 
The official name of the event is the 2012 Macon County Heart Walk & Run Honoring Darrell Beck. Beck passed away of a massive heart attack last April.
“We are honored that the Beck family will be participating in the event this year in their father’s honor,” said event chairman Ron Pulera. “Mr. Beck was a true philanthropist for the Decatur community, and helped to further so many great causes. We hope that honoring him at this event will help to spread awareness of heart disease as the number one killer not only in Decatur, but in the nation.”
The 2012 Macon County Heart Walk & Run Honoring Darrell Beck is a major fundraiser for the American Heart Association. The event, to be held on April 14, 2012 at Nelson Park, offers free health screenings, kids’ activities, health information, heart-healthy food and more. Participants can visit the booths, watch a brief awards program and then take a 1 or 3-mile walk along the lake. More about the Heart Walk.
The Decatur Club is in the beginning stages of organizing the details for the run, which will take place before the walk kicks off at 9 a.m. The club plans to donate a portion of the proceeds to the American Heart Association. Registration details will be available soon.
The mission of the AHA is to build lives free of cardiovascular disease, and the organization set an aggressive goal in 2010 to decrease the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease by 20 percent by the year 2020. The heart walk was created to honor survivors of heart disease and those that have passed away, and to spread awareness of physical activity as a form of prevention. Last year the event raised over $66,000, and this year the event committee hopes to raise more than $75,000.
“The Executive Leadership Team is working to raise sponsorship dollars and enter company teams into the walk,” said Pulera. “A company can participate by donating money and/or organizing employee teams that fundraise before the event. The American Heart Association makes it easy by providing resources for companies to successfully fundraise online and through other methods.”
Executive Leadership Team volunteers include:
• Gary Birschback of McDonalds
• Marilyn Davis of Millikin
• Mac Dunaway of Land of Lincoln Credit Union
• Mark Hanson and Debbie Bogle of Neuhoff Media
• Phil Hazenfield and Anastasia Lingle of Startek Inc.
• Karla Miller of St. Teresa
• Walt Hupe and Becky Modine of Caterpillar Inc.
• Todd Nelson of the Herald & Review
• Ron Pulera and Carol Barnes of WAND TV
• Daren Reynolds and Tina Suzewitz of Consociate Dansig
Individuals are encouraged to sign up community teams as well.
For more information on event sponsorships or to organize a company team, please contact John Mikels at the American Heart Association at 217-698-3838.
For more information on the event please log on to www.maconcountyheartwalk.org.
