A healthy turnout at annual Heart Walk

The event at YSU's stadium raised $143,000 for medical research.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Elmetta Truswell may have helped save her own life by coming to Youngstown State University's track Saturday.
Truswell, of Austintown, was among about 2,000 people at the track for the American Heart Association's 2003 American Heart Walk, which raised money for heart research. She said there is a small blockage in one of her blood vessels, a condition that can cause a heart attack.
"I hope they find a cure so I won't have this heart problem," Truswell said.
Heart association officials said Saturday morning's walk raised about $143,000 in donations for research into the causes of heart disease and strokes, as well as education about preventing heart problems. That's $13,000 more than the fund-raising goal for the walk and $29,000 more than the event raised last year.
It was the first year that a walk was hosted at one site for residents of Columbiana, Mahoning, and Trumbull counties. Sponsors included The Vindicator.
Event chairman Thomas Hollern, area president for National City Bank, Northeast Region, said he was impressed by the turnout for the walk.
"I can't get over it," he said. "I'm overwhelmed. I think it's an indication that people understand the scope of the problem and want to work for a cure."
Participants in the event walked around the track and throughout the YSU campus from 9-11:30 a.m. Several health and community organizations also had information booths set up in the track infield.
Posters hanging around the booths carried statements such as:
UEvery 29 seconds an American will suffer a coronary event, and about every minute someone will die from one.
USomeone in America suffers a stroke every 45 seconds.
U One in five Americans has high blood pressure.
There to learn
Samuel Overton Jr. of Liberty said he came to the walk to learn how he could live a healthier life, and "get some instruction on things I should be doing and things I shouldn't be doing." He was one of many walkers who wore a red hat, indicating that they had survived heart disease.
Overton said he had triple-bypass surgery seven years ago to reroute blood around three blocked arteries.
Canfield resident Jim Pantea, who also wore a red hat, said 10 years ago he had quadruple-bypass surgery and suffered a heart attack that was unrelated to the surgery.
"I hadn't done anything like this before," he said at the walk. "I'm getting excited now, seeing all these people."
Showing support
Others said they were at the walk to support friends and family with heart disease. Bob and Barb Thomas of Boardman said two of their friends recently had heart surgery.
Barb noted that while the turnout Saturday was good, she thought more people should be at the walk.
"They may need heart-association services at some time," she said.
Youngstown resident Cara James said she had been asked to participate in the walk by a friend whose father had heart disease. She said she was walking, "in celebration of those who had survived heart disease and to raise awareness."
hill@vindy.com