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More than 3,000 walkers are expected to participate in the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Long Beach Heart Walk on Saturday, September 24 at the Rainbow Lagoon Park.

The Heart Walk starts at 7:30AM and the welcome program takes place at 8:30AM. The non-competitive 5k walk or run will kick off at 9:00AM and there will also be a festival filled with fun activities, health information, a kids zone, and entertainment. There is no fee to participate.

In addition to Long Beach, three more walks will take place, including in Pasadena (October 8), Santa Clarita (October 15) and Palmdale (November 5). The association’s combined goal is to raise $1.75 million to support heart disease and stroke research, community education programs and patient care improvement initiatives.

The event aims to create a healthy culture by engaging community members in physical activity and heart-healthy living, while raising funds to fight heart disease and stroke, the AHA said in a release.

lilyWith heart disease, stroke and other other cardiovascular diseases affecting more than 800,000 lives in the U.S. each year, Long Beach communityannabelle members invited survivors Annabelle Provisor and Lilly Rocha to join the walk.

Rocha celebrates her second chance at life by participating in the Long Beach Heart Walk and to raise awareness of heart attack warning signs.

Eight-year-old Annabelle Provisor has faced two open-heart surgeries after she was born with a critical congenital heart defect. The Provisor family has participated in Heart Walk for eight years to help the AHA fund more medical research.

“We team 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 AHA said.

Keck Medicine of USC Chief Administrative Officer Paul Craig and USC Verdugo Hills Hospital CEO Keith Hobbs are co-chairing this year’s Heart Walks The event is sponsored nationally by Subway and My Heart. My Life.and locally by the Union Bank and Keck Medicine of USC.

For more information or to join a Heart walk, visit www.HeartWalk.org.

Photos courtesy of AHA.

Stephanie Rivera is the community engagement editor. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @StephRivera88.