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The weather was beautiful, the surroundings were inspiring, the turnout was amazing, and spirits were soaring at the 2010 GTA Walk of Life®. On Saturday, May 15, over 1,500 people gathered at the Ontario Science Centre to take part in the Cardiac Health Foundation of Canada’s (CHFC) 5 km run or 3 km/5 km walk through ET Seton Park. This included over 350 “Team Mikey” members from The Mikey Network with their red T-shirts, white hats and bright red whistles. The Mikey Network is also donating public-access defibrillators called MIKEYS to all the Foundation’s rehabilitation centres that held walks across Canada. The GTA event alone raised over $400,000.
“It was a phenomenal day,” says Hugh Heron, Chair of The Mikey Network, which raises public awareness of heart-healthy living and places public-access defibrillators called MIKEYS in public places. “ET Seton Park is spectacular in the spring. We had walkers of all ages, including families with children and dogs. It was like a sea of red, with everyone wearing Mikey shirts excited to be helping such a worthy cause. Team Mikey’s association with the event was a great partnership, because the CHFC’s goals are in line with those of The Mikey Network. Our organization is named for Mike Salem, a former partner and friend who died of sudden cardiac arrest on a golf course in 2002. He was a wonderful family man, and this was the kind of event he would have loved.” CHFC is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting cardiac rehabilitation and the advocacy of prevention and education. Exercise is recommended as part of cardiovascular health and rehabilitation, which is why the Mikey Network initiated Mikey Walking Clubs, and why CHFC started the National WALK OF LIFE. Since its founding, CHFC has raised $9 million toward prevention, education and cardiac rehabilitation at over 40 cardiac rehabilitation centres in hospitals and clinics across Canada. Founded in 2003, The Mikey Network has already installed 800 MIKEYS across Ontario, including hundreds in schools in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. To find out more, visit www.mikeynetwork.com.
