Walk for your heart at the Oak Brook Heart Walk Sept. 23

More than 4,000 walkers are planning to put their best foot forward at the American Heart Association's Oak Brook Heart Walk on Saturday, Sept. 23.

The walk, which raises funds to support the Heart Association's research and education programs, runs from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Advocate Kensington Support Center, 1400 Kensington Road in Oak Brook. Visit www2.heart.org.

This year's Heart Walk will include a fitness festival, with special stations set up on the grounds to highlight some great ways to get healthy. Activities will include spin bikes, short yoga classes, a mediation station, giant hopscotch and activities for children.

Walkers also will have the opportunity to pay tribute to loved ones who have been affected by heart disease and stroke.

The Northfield Heart Walk is one of three walks taking place throughout Metro Chicago this fall. Walks also will be held in Chicago on Sept. 22 and in Northfield on Sept. 24. This year's Metro Chicago Heart Walks are chaired by Susan Campbell of Advocate Health Care and Cathy Kenworthy of Interactive Health.

The Metro Chicago Heart Walks are generously supported by local cause sponsors Meijer and Interactive Health; signature sponsor Advocate Health Care; and local sponsors DuPage Medical Group and Medline Industries.

Heart disease and stroke are the nation's number 1 and number 5 causes of death. The American Heart Association teams with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The American Heart Association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke.