Hoofin' 4 Hardy raises funds for free heart screenings
An upcoming race will help create awareness of a serious health condition that can affect young adults known as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM).
The eighth annual Hoofin' for Hardy 5K run and two-mile walk will be hosted Nov. 20 at Birchwood Park & Recreation Center, 435 W. Illinois Ave., in Palatine, at 9 a.m. The race is hosted by the Joshua Jared Hardy Charities, and has created an opportunity for free cardiac screenings at Fremd, Conant, and Palatine high schools conducted by the organization Young Hearts for Life.
The screenings will take place during school and only for students whose parents authorize them to be tested. The screening is recommended every two years.
Hoofin' 4 Hardy was founded in 2009 after the death of a dedicated runner and Fremd High School graduate Jared Hardy. Hardy was a 21-year-old student at the University of Illinois and a victim of HCM, which is a genetic heart condition that causes an excessive thickening of the heart and is the leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a simple test that screens for the condition.
The charity's goal is to not only bring awareness to the issue of HCM, but also to raise enough money to start testing in all D211 high schools.
"Testing has already saved thousands of lives," said Ruth Jensen of Joshua Jared Hardy Charities. "With the support of all our runners and donors, the Young Hearts for Life organization and the Hoofin' 4 Hardy team, we will have ECG screenings in the D211 high schools. Our first school will be William Fremd High School this December, with the rest following in the next year."
Fremd High School will conduct screenings Dec. 7 and 8. Palatine High School will have screenings Feb. 22 and 23, 2017, and Conant High School's screenings will take place March 15 and 16, 2017.
"We are incredibly excited and grateful for all the support and it has truly been a team effort and win for us all," Jansen said. "We hope individuals will come celebrate with us and learn more about our exciting news this Nov. 20 at the race."
To register for the Hoofin' 4 Hardy race, visit www.hoofin4hardy.org. The preregistration fee is $30, $25 for Chicago Area Registration Association (CARA) members, and race day registration is $35.