NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Thousands of people are expected at GEODIS Park this weekend for the Greater Nashville Heart Walk, an event by the American Heart Association raising money for research and education while honoring people impacted by heart disease and stroke.
For Erin Matchett, the mission is personal.
Matchett was born with a congenital heart defect and has three chambers in her heart instead of four. While she said her daily life is relatively normal now, she underwent several surgeries growing up.
“Whenever I found out this organization helped fund research that helps people like me, that’s when I was like, ‘I have to do something,’” Matchett said.
She started volunteering with the American Heart Association 10 years ago.
Kelly Jamerson, vice president of development for the American Heart Association, said one in three people will die from cardiovascular disease and that access to knowledge and treatment plays a major role in health outcomes.
“A scary fact is that we see a 15-year difference in life expectancy between neighborhoods in North Nashville and Green Hills,” Jamerson said.
The American Heart Association works to educate people about CPR and the importance of checkups, while events like the Heart Walk raise awareness and money for research.
“We’re going to celebrate and remember our loved ones who have been touched by heart disease and stroke,” Jamerson said.
Jamerson said that education can make a difference at any age. She pointed to a recent example in Murfreesboro, where a fifth grader who had learned hands-only CPR used those skills to help save one of her grandmother’s friends at an assisted living center.
The Greater Nashville Heart Walk is Sunday, Sept. 27, at GEODIS Park. An estimated 5,000 people are expected to participate.
The event begins at 1 p.m., with the two-mile walk starting at 2 p.m.
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