2018 marks the eleventh year Planview has participated in the American Heart Association’s Austin Heart Walk, and I am thrilled to be one of our team captains this year—for the leading team no less. (My team rocks!) Here at Planview, we go all-out in making this fundraiser a fun competition, to see which team can raise the most money, and we even throw in some creative activities of our own along the way. It’s a meaningful cause for many of our employees, myself included. We’re all walking for someone or something, whether it’s a relative, a personal experience, or simply to contribute to an amazing cause, and this year, we’re all going to be wearing our hearts on our sleeves by sharing our stories. I’d like to share mine with you today.
I’m walking for my dad. When I was 13, he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke that came close to taking his life. Thanks to the quick action of my mom, who recognized the first signs of a stroke, and the subsequent incredible medical care he received, he made a full recovery, but not everyone is so lucky. I’m walking to raise awareness for and support the prevention, detection, research, and medical care that saved my dad’s life and continues to help others every day.
Like I said, I’m not the only one with a personal connection. My fellow team member, Maria Harper, has also been affected: “The Heart Walk is a cause near and dear to my heart, as a lot of my loved ones have suffered from Heart Disease. I think it’s a great cause for the entire company to rally around because it has affected so many lives.”
And this is what the Heart Walk is all about—people coming together, sharing their stories, and helping raise money that will fund the research and resources necessary to save lives. It’s thanks to fundraisers such as this one that make the research possible to help people just like my dad.
While the subject matter is very serious, the Austin Heart Walk is anything but somber. Austinites from all walks of life (including our furry, four-legged friends) come together for the 5K run or 1-mile walk along the Colorado river. Everyone has a reason to be there, and the event is truly one of love and comradery. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?
Planview isn’t new to this event—our company began participating in 2008, and our participation and contribution has only grown every year since. Check out our blogs from the previous two years, “Walk with Planview at the American Heart Association’s Austin Heart Walk 2017,” and, from 2018, “This Year’s Austin Heart and Stroke Walk is a Walk Down Memory Lane.” We enjoy turning the event into our own fun competition, creating teams to see who can raise the most money. This year we have the MEME Team (of which I’m the coach), Team Planview, the Planview Plodders, and the Running Team. If you would like to donate to any of our teams and help us reach our goals, we would greatly appreciate it!
But that’s not all we’ve been up to. This year, we also held a “cutest pet” competition, where employees voted through donations to the American Heart Association. Alani (cat) and Travis (dog) were our highest earners and won the title of Cutest Cat and Cutest Dog. Their owners received prizes that their pets absolutely loved!
Planview raised a grand total of $11,675 for this year’s Austin Heart Walk! Thank you to all the incredible donors and participants that helped to make the 2018 Heart Walk a huge success! We hope to see you (and all your pets) out on the trail next year for the 2019 Austin Heart Walk!
