We hope everyone will join us
this Thursday, March 12 for the next delicious Pathfinder Produce market at the
Village Commons from 2 to 5 p.m. We’re
gearing up for our second anniversary celebration on March 19, which will
feature reduced prices on produce and fun ways to celebrate and anticipate
World Down Syndrome Day on 3-21!
If you’d like to join in on the
fun of our virtual celebration of WDSD, please upload a picture of yourself (and
a way of showing your 21) and/or your loved one who has Down syndrome at our Pathfinder
Village Facebook page via private message for
our new SHOW YOUR 21 campaign. We’ll be
compiling these images into a video to share on March 21, part of the worldwide
celebration of the Down syndrome community!
****Typically, my blogs focus on food and gardening topics in support of the Pathfinder Produce market. But the other goals of the Edmeston Central School’s 5210 Wellness Committee – reducing recreational screen time and getting an hour’s worth of physical activity each day -- are worth writing about too. This past Saturday, the students from Pathfinder’s new post-secondary program, Otsego Academy, led by active example as they participated in the American Heart Association’s Greatest Heart Run and Walk in Utica.
The goal of
the Greatest Heart Run and Walk is to raise awareness of heart disease, which
is America’s No. 1 cause of death. Estimates
from area news sources indicate that over 9,000 people took part in this year’s
event, the 18th annual, and the Heart Association raised over $1
million in support of education and outreach activities. I caught up with the Academy students early
on, and enjoyed seeing them off at the starting line. Despite the high snow banks and chilly
temperatures, the students and staff were in a celebratory mood, sharing in the
energy of the crowd gathered at Utica College to take part in the 3 and 5 mile
walks. One student, PJ, who has really
developed a love for fitness walking, was really enthusiastic.
The Utica event offered many ways
to participate – walking either 3 or 5 miles, and running events at 3, 5, or 10
miles. There was even a 30K event for
marathoners. As the students started
their walk, I caught a bus and by sheer luck, happened to catch up with members
of our office staff and their family members who had just finished the 3 mile
run. I also met more friends from NYCM
Insurance, Bassett Healthcare, Preferred Mutual Insurance, and other of
Pathfinder’s community partners who were taking part. (A big shout out goes to our NYCM friends, who
are on target to raise over $50,000 through their involvement).
According the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, heart
disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for both men and women. Over 610,000 Americans die from heart
disease, about 1 out of every 4 deaths.
Every year, about 735,000 have heart attacks. The key to saving lives is education and
quick responses in emergencies:
According to a 2005 survey, only about a fourth of those asked knew all
major symptoms of heart attacks: Chest
pain or discomfort; upper body pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw
or upper stomach; shortness of breath; nausea, lightheadedness or cold sweats.
Just under half of all Americans
are at risk for a heart attack through having high blood pressure, high LDL
(bad) cholesterol, or smoking. Other
conditions and risk factors include being overweight, having diabetes, making
poor food choices, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol consumption. If you can modify just some of these factors,
you can reduce your chances of having a heart attack; the CDC recommends taking
brisk 10-minute walks three times a day, five days a week, and eating a diet
low in salt, low in total and saturated fats and cholesterol, and increasing
your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Until next time, be good to your
heart (and SHOW YOUR 21),
Lori
