American Heart Association's Oak Brook Heart Walk anticipates 5,000-plus walkers on Saturday

The American Heart Association's Oak Brook Heart Walk will take place on Saturday, Sept. 22. Nearly 5000 participants will walk and raise funds to support the Heart Association's research and education programs. The walk will take place from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Advocate Kensington Support Center, 1400 Kensington in Oak Brook.

The Heart Walk includes a fitness festival, complete with special stations that highlight innovative ways to get healthy. Participants can enjoy yoga and spin classes, a meditation station, giant hopscotch and activities for children. New this year, participants will also be able to take jazzercise and Zumba classes in the cardio zone. In addition to the family-friendly fitness festival, walkers will also have the opportunity to pay tribute to loved ones who have been affected by heart disease and stroke.

The Oak Brook Heart Walk is one of three walks taking place throughout Metro Chicago this weekend. Walks will also be held in Chicago on Sept. 21 and in Northfield on Sept. 23. This year's Metro Chicago Heart Walks are chaired by Rich Heim of Advocate Health Care.

The Metro Chicago Heart Walks are generously supported by local cause sponsors Meijer and Interactive Health; signature sponsor Advocate Health Care; and local sponsors Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital 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 Heart Association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke.