This year I hit my 10th anniversary working for the American Heart Association, and that milestone is a big part of why I'm walking. But it isn't the whole reason.

This fight is personal for my family. My wife's grandmother battled the effects of a stroke for years before she passed. Her grandfather has survived multiple heart attacks. And my aunt died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism. Heart disease, stroke, and blood clots aren't abstractions to us. They have names and faces we love.

For a decade I've watched our teams work without letting up to prevent, treat, and cure heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, and to educate and promote healthy living in every community. The progress is real. Since the AHA was founded in 1924, deaths from cardiovascular disease have been cut in half. But there are still so many lives to save, and families still going through what mine has. That's where you come in.

Here's what support like yours makes possible:

19 Million+ high blood pressure patients helped. Our high blood pressure quality care initiative ensures lifesaving care for people at risk for heart disease.

$6 Billion+ invested in pioneering research. We're the largest nonprofit, non-government funder of cardiovascular and brain health research in the U.S., fueling breakthroughs that save lives.

22 Million people trained in CPR every year. Nine out of ten people who have a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital die. Performed immediately, CPR can double or triple a person's chance of survival.

Building on over 100 years of trusted leadership in cardiovascular and brain health, by 2028 the AHA will drive breakthroughs and put proven solutions to work in science, policy, and care for healthier people and communities. The greatest discoveries in health have to reach people where they are.

Join me in being a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Please donate today, and thank you for being part of this.