Every year the Fayette

County Board of the American Heart Association sets

fund-raising goals and determines which fund-raisers will

be held to enable them to meet their goals. The Southeast

Affiliate office coordinates educational efforts in the

business community and through the schools with the

assistance of the local board.

In addition to Fayette

Board-coordinated events, local businesses often approach

the board with a desire to host their own events to raise

money. In past years the Braelinn Kroger held a

"yard" sale and sold root beer floats to raise

money for the Heart Association. Gold's Gym this year had

the first Heart of Gold Golf Tournament. The Cardiac

Arrest fund-raiser is popular with some businesses and

each year a business or group of businesses approaches

the board to have one.

Another focus of the board

is education. Because heart disease and stroke are often

not as visible as other diseases, often times it does not

garner the interest other diseases may. Diet, exercise

and knowledge can have a major impact on the prevention

of cardiovascular disease. The following are some of the

fund-raisers and educational efforts of the Heart

Association in Fayette County and throughout the country:

For the past few years the

Fayette County American Heart Association has hosted the

well-known Celebrity Celebration. In 2000, they will

switch gears slightly, giving the Celebrity Celebration a

rest, and host the first event to which no one will be

invited. The group is still working on an appropriate

name for the February fundraiser.

Jump Rope for the Heart is

an educational fund-raiser. It is cosponsored by the

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,

Recreation and Dance. School-age children are engaged in

physical activity, jumping rope, to raise funds to

support cardiovascular research and education. Students

receive thank-you prizes based on the amount of money

they raise. The primary target for the fund-raiser is

grades K - 5, although it can be held in middle schools

through college, youth groups, through recreation

departments, church groups and gyms.

Cardiac Arrests are hosted

in local areas. In the past the arrests have been in

Peachtree City, Fayetteville and in Tyrone. In 2000 the

Fayette board will coordinate with local businesses and

volunteers to host one toward the end of their fiscal

year in May or June.

Heart Power is a

"comprehensive and flexible supplemental school

program that teaches children about heart-health and

prevention of heart disease and stroke." Local civic

groups have donated money to the AHA to purchase the

Heart Power kits for some of the local schools. There are

five kits in the program, preK, kindergarten - grade 2,

Spanish preK - grade 1, grades 3 - 5 and grades 6 - 8.

Each kit contains stethoscopes, sing-along music and

lyrics, a teacher resource book, posters, a video,

audiocassettes and other printed educational materials.

Search Your Heart is a

church-based heart and stroke health program. It is

informational, interactive and fun. The program teaches

and encourages congregations to watch their blood

pressure, begin a physical activity program, eat

heart-healthy and learn to reduce the risk of stroke. The

American Heart Association provides the Search Your Heart

kit at no cost.

Hoop for Heart is also

co-sponsored by AAHPERD and is geared toward school age

children. A series of basketball tournaments and/or

contests are held to raise awareness of heart disease and

stroke and to raise money to support research and

prevention efforts.

Have an old car you would

like to get rid of? Donate it for the "Cars for

Heart" program. The program turns cars into cash for

the fight against heart disease and stroke. Call

1-888-AHA-CAR1, toll free, for information or to schedule

a pickup of your car. You will receive a tax credit for

the market value of your car.

For information on any of

the above, or to see how you can volunteer to help, call

Mary O'Conner at 770-730-8440.

The

Fayette County American Heart Association

Board

Janet McGregor - President

Paul Yellina (Braelinn

Kroger) - Vice President

Cecilia Vaughn (Occumed) -

Secretary

Stuart Bennett (Fayette

County School System)

Ryan Duffy (Fayette

Community Hospital)

Greg Dunn (Fayette County

Commissioner)

Eve Gray (Cooper Lighting)

Annie Haynes (Vox-Com)

J. D. Holmes (Gold's Gym)

Paul Oddo (GTO's

Restaurant)

Dr. Charles Pettus

Marie Schlosser (The Guide)

Lane Watts (Watts Realty)

Glenn Winslett (Holiday Inn

Express)

Kathy Yellina