I live in a rural community on the Olympic Peninsula where neighbors still help neighbors. As a mom of two young boys and someone who works alongside cardiovascular teams every day, heart health is personal to me.

The grown ups I love most - my mom, my in-laws, our friends, and many of our neighbors - are at the age where heart health matters more than ever. Living in a small community full of retirees is a constant reminder that heart disease touches nearly every family.

I want my boys to grow up in a place where people know how to help each other in an emergency. 

I also want them to learn early on how choices at every age affect the trajectory of their health. 

That’s why I care so much about CPR education, healthy living, and the work of the American Heart Association. In rural communities, we can’t always wait for someone else to arrive. The more people who know what to do, the stronger and safer we all are.

The Heart Walk brings all of this together - movement, community, prevention, and hope. It’s a chance to take action, support lifesaving research, and be part of something bigger than ourselves.

Thank you for bringing energy - for helping build healthier hearts, stronger communities, and more time with the people we love.

- Hilary Whittington Kerber