American Heart Association Start!
2010 Start! Walking Day
April 7, 2010

The American Heart Association is asking you to celebrate your health on Start! Walking Day by stepping away from your desk and getting some exercise. These days, adults are spending more time at work than ever before. An unfortunate side effect is, as a nation, we’re becoming more inactive. This is a problem when you consider the fact that physical inactivity doubles the risk of heart disease. But take heart! It’s a problem you can help fix by convincing your company to take part in National Start! Walking Day on April 7. Employees are encouraged to wear sneakers to work and take at least 30 minutes out of their day to get up and walk. It’s a great way to raise awareness of the Start! movement and to give your coworkers a friendly push toward a healthier life. Additionally, a Start! Community Event will be held in downtown Portland with free health screenings and giveaways. For more information about how to get your company involved locally, call 503-233-0100 or visit www.startpdx.org.

Start! Heart and
Stroke Walk
May 22, 2010

The American Heart Association’s 2010 Start! Greater Portland Heart and Stroke Walk takes place at the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade in Portland, OR and Vancouver Landing in Vancouver, WA. This fundraising event with no registration fee includes a 5k walk plus a festival celebration. Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 3 killers in America. Last year, more than 6,000 walkers raised nearly $500,000 dollars for lifesaving programs, funding research, community education, outreach, advocacy efforts, and more. Take steps toward a healthier heart, a healthier you, through this event. For more information and to register for the event call 503-233-0100 or visit www.greaterportlandheartwalk.org

Arthritis Walk
May 15, 2010 Portland

The Arthritis Walk is the Arthritis Foundation’s annual nationwide signature event that raises funds and awareness to fight arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability.

The Arthritis Walk kicks off in May during National Arthritis Month in more than 300 communities nationwide to fund arthritis research, health education, government advocacy initiatives and local programs and services. In 2010 Arthritis Walks will be held in Washington in Silverdale, Bellevue, Tacoma and Richland and in Oregon in Portland, Salem, Eugene/Springfield and Medford.

Participants walk in honor of a friend or family member with arthritis. People with arthritis wear blue hats to signify their action in taking control of their condition. The event features a three-mile and one-mile course, with arthritis information and activities for the entire family. Dogs get arthritis too and are invited to join their owners. Walkers who raise $100 or more will earn an Arthritis Walk T-shirt and become eligible for other incentive prizes as well. At the conclusion of the walk, participants and spectators alike can visit the booths at the Health Fair that focus on educational information, services, products, and research to help people affected by arthritis. There are also activities for children, refreshments, snacks, music, and prizes for all to enjoy.

By joining your 2010 Arthritis Walk, you become a part of the Let’s Move Together movement. Start moving today for better health! For more information and to find a location near you call 1-877-232-2898 or register online at www.arthritis.org.

Helvetia Half Marathon
Helps High School Fit Programs

For three years, Paula has generously supported a half marathon training program for students at two high schools, Liberty in Hillsboro (Liberty Fit) and Wilsonville in West Linn Wilsonville School district (Willie Fit). Paula has waved the entrance fee for well over 150 students, making it possible for them to participate in an event that otherwise they would not be able to afford. The students train for four months; the training culminates with the Helvetia Half Marathon event. The training program targets at-risk students that are not participating in organized sports, and struggle with academics and attendance. The training culminates with the Helvetia Half Marathon. “It truly is an amazing experience for the students, and we cannot thank Paula enough for providing these students an opportunity to participate in such awesome event,” states Carlos Sequeira, the assistant principal at Wilsonville High School.

10th Annual Helvetia Half
Marathon and Drop Top 10k
June 12, 2010

“Leave the city behind...13.1 miles of country roads” says it all. This great summer event began back in 2001 and gets better and bigger every year. This is a favorite with walkers. When you arrive at the Hillsboro Stadium, the excitement is contagious with many first timers and those who return year after year. The course starts out flat but then come the hills. This event is famous for its hills. But remember, what goes up must come down. You walk past beautiful farms, fields in bloom and even a few llamas. The Helvetia community and the city of Hillboro is very supportive of the annual event. The locals sit in lawn chairs to cheer you on and even offer to cool you off with a lawn hose.

The organizer, Paula Harkin of Run with Paula Events, makes it a point to have the volunteers remain on the course until every walker has finished. The course is supported all along the route with water and H.E.E.D. and some very cheerful volunteers. A portion of the proceeds go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to drive to the Gordon Faber Hillsboro Stadium because traffic can be a problem. Carpooling is highly recommended. All half marathon finishers receive a medal and an adidas technical shirt post race. The party after the event is for the entire family and there is the famous Helvetia burger or Gardenburger, beer, or beverage of your choice. So you will want to sit in the grass, listen to the music, and enjoy the party.

Visit www.runwithpaula.com for more information and to preview all of the Run With Paula events. WA