American Heart Walk encourages cardiovascular health

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - On this first weekend of Autumn, people in the Mobile area got their hearts pumping for a good cause.

The 2012 Alabama Gulf Coast American Heart Walk took place Saturday morning in Mobile.

Multitudes descended on the University of South Alabama campus, walking — and raising money — for the American Heart Association. More than $236,000 of donations were raised by the event.

PHOTOS: Alabama Gulf Coast American Heart Walk 2012

One of those walking the 3-mile course was Mary Searle, who has a personal tie to heart disease. She suffered a scare just two weeks ago.

Searle said, "When I started to change clothes, I had a pain in my chest, so I called my daughter and asked to her come over, and, when she got there, she called 911. They immediately rushed me to Providence Hospital."

Walkers like Searle know the importance of exercising to prevent and treat heart disease.

She said, "This is a good opportunity to get out and really witness to other people."

Kimberly Soule has a son with a heart condition, so the cause is “real dear to [them.]”

Soule and her husband sported white ribbons in honor of Tyler Hunyh, a Theodore High School student who died earlier in September after a traffic accident. She said the team is walking in Huynh’s honor as well.

Soule said, "The white ribbon is for Tyler Huynh, who was just killed a few weeks ago. We do have some of our "glitz girls" that went to school with him, and they just talked about how dear and sweet he was. We didn't know him, but, as a team we're walking in memory of him as well."

FOX10 News Anchor Lenise Ligon was the Master of Ceremonies.

She told the crowd, "Heart disease knows no age, gender, or race when it comes to taking the lives of those we love."

FOX10 had a team of walkers along with Ligon, including Anchor/Reporter Renee Dials, and Studio10 hosts Cherish Lombard and Joe Emer.