The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health System is joining forces with the American Heart Association for the 2010 American Heart Association Start! Heart Walk Aug. 21 at Linn Park in downtown Birmingham to help raise money to combat heart disease and strokes.

May 6, 2010

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health System is joining forces with the American Heart Association for the 2010 American Heart Association Start! Heart Walk Aug. 21 at Linn Park in downtown Birmingham to help raise money to combat heart disease and strokes.

The Health System is looking for people interested in participating on its teams. Participation is free, and walkers are eligible for a Start! Heart Walk T-shirt once they have raised a minimum of $100. To participate, contact one of the UAB Team leaders:

In 2009 UAB earned the distinction of the Top Fundraising Health Care Facility in Birmingham for raising $24,294, and 120 people from UAB participated in the walk. This year, as a Start! Heart Walk partner, the Health System's fundraising goal is $75,000.

The Start! Heart Walk raises funds and awareness for the fight to save lives from this country's No. 1 and No. 3 killers - heart disease and stroke. Designed to promote physical activity and heart-healthy living, the Start! Heart Walk creates an environment that's fun and rewarding for the entire family. More than 1 million walkers will participate in nearly 350 events across the country in 2010.

About the UAB Health System

The UAB Health System includes all of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's patient care activities, including UAB Hospital, the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital and The Kirklin Clinic. UAB is the state of Alabama's largest employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center whose professional schools and specialty patient care programs are consistently ranked as among the nation's top 50; find more information at www.uab.edu and www.uabmedicine.org.