SPECIAL SECTION
What? | The Twin Cities 2010 Start! Heart Walk has hit a homerun as the first nonprofit walk hosted at the new Minnesota Twins Target Field. |
When? | Saturday, June 5, 2010, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. |
Where? | Target Field, Minneapolis (the new Twins stadium) |
Why? | Raise money to help fight heart disease. The top fundraisers will get discounted tickets to a June Twins game, be honored at the game, and the Top Walker will get to throw out the first pitch! |
How? | Join the All-Star Team, commit to raising $1,000, and create your own team webpage: twincitiesheartwalk.org. For more information, contact Karie Bundridge at karie.bundridge@heart.org or call 952-278-7914. |
A little bit of history…
Elliot Jaffee, Twin Cities market president at U.S. Bank, a 2010 co-chair of the Start! Heart Walk—along with Patrick Geraghty, president and CEO, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota—says the Twins Field was considered based on U.S. Bank’s prominent role in the ballpark and long-standing partnership with the Minnesota Twins.
“It took some time to flush out the practicality of hosting a nonprofit event there since it’s a new facility with some unknowns, but we figured it out,” Jaffee explains. “We knew we needed a Saturday that revolved around when the Twins would be on the road for a few days, and we knew we wanted to plan the Walk later than when we’d had it in the past (it used to take place in April). After some discussions, we settled on June 5.”
Jaffee, who has run four marathons, bikes, and regularly signs the whole family up for 5K races, stresses how easy it is to get involved, and what a great concept the Start! Heart Walk is to support.
“Once you walk a mile, you realize it’s not that difficult,” he says. Hopefully—by participating in the Heart Walk—more people will be inspired to make exercise a regular part of their everyday routine.
Heart Walk is not only good for your heart, it’s fun and educational, he says. “You learn how to improve your quality of life and the numerous benefits of living a more healthy lifestyle. Once you participate, you’ll see that it’s not that hard to make a positive difference.”
