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15,000 Walk To Beat Heart Disease

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By MIKE WELLS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 11, 2007

TAMPA - Starting with a warm-up of light aerobics and stretching, 15,000 cheering people took to the pavement Saturday for the Tampa Bay Start! Heart Walk.

The area's largest walking event drew heart surgery survivors, loved ones and people who simply want to live a healthier lifestyle. Participants walked three miles from Raymond James Stadium, down Himes Avenue, through Al Lopez Park and back.

The money raised supports the American Heart Association's fight against the nation's No. 1 killer: cardiovascular disease. By midday Saturday, the event had collected more than $1.35 million, association spokeswoman Kate Sawa said.

Seeing the crowds who cared about healthy hearts put a smile on 8-year-old Haley Snyder's face.

The Highland Christian Academy student survived open-heart surgery soon after she was born. She was missing a chamber wall in her heart, said her mother, Michelle Snyder of Largo. Doctors performed the surgery once her infant daughter weighed 12 pounds.

"I just feel happy that I'm here, right now," Haley said before skipping off with her older sister, Brittany, 10.
Celebrity appearances included weight-loss success story Jared Fogle, spokesman for Subway restaurants, and Food Network star and chef Juan-Carlos Cruz, who demonstrated how to prepare healthful, tasty meals.

Fogle has appeared at the event for the past five years.

"This one is amazing," Fogle said. "I go to about 15 of these events a year across the country, and this one is in my top one or two favorites."

TBO.com, The Tampa Tribune, and WFLA, Channel 8, were among the event's many sponsors.

Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib.com.

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