The American Heart Association invites people from across Lancaster County to fight heart disease and stroke at the 2023 Lancaster Heart Walk on Saturday, Sept. 23. The event will take participants on a 3-mile walk through the streets of Lancaster and around Buchanan Park. Festivities will begin at 9:30 a.m., and the walk will step off at 11:30 a.m. starting at the Barnstormers' stadium, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster.

The Heart Walk raises funds to support the mission of the American Heart Association and save lives from heart disease and stroke, the nation's No. 1 and No. 5 killers. It is also an opportunity for families, co-workers and communities to come together to participate in a heart-healthy activity while honoring those who have been affected by heart disease and stroke, including heart attack survivor Ceirra Zeager of Ephrata.

Zeager began her journey with heart disease at just 14 years old. The day after her first high school dance, she struggled to dress herself, experiencing exhaustion and trouble breathing. What was nearly dismissed as teenage anxiety was soon discovered to be a heart attack, caused by a congenital heart defect called a patent foramen ovale. Zeager endured surgery to repair her heart and was operated on again seven years later, just weeks after her wedding, after the discovery that damage from the heart attack had caused a leaky mitral valve. Zeager's passion for sharing her story and helping other survivors recover mentally and emotionally earned her a place among the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women Real Women 2023 class of survivors who serve as national spokespeople for the Go Red for Women movement.

The Lancaster Heart Walk is co-chaired by Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health's Dr. Meghan Dermody, chief of the division of vascular surgery, and Dr. Mrinalini Meesala, chief of the division of cardiology. Christine Ferreira from WGAL will be the master of ceremonies for the opening ceremonies.

To learn more or sign up to participate, visit http://www.heart.org/lancasterwalk. From there, participants can stay up to date by downloading the Heart Walk mobile app, and they can encourage friends and family members to join in via email or on social media.

The funds raised from the Heart Walks go toward research, advocacy, CPR training and promoting better health in support of the American Heart Association's 2024 Health Equity Impact Goal of reducing barriers to health care access and quality. Visit http://www.heart.org to learn more.