Hearts For Harmon

Aims To Save Lives

Virtually every aspect of the 2009 Hearts For Harmon event is designed to either save or prolong lives.

The public is encouraged to stop in to this free second annual community wellness program, set for Sunday, March 8, at Edmond Town Hall from noon to 4 pm. Hearts For Harmon ‘09 will feature CPR training, health screenings, fitness and nutrition consultants, benefit raffle prizes of health and fitness certificates, heart healthy snacks, and upbeat music from a local songwriter.

And the event will launch a 100-day, web-based resource to provide easy, low impact health, nutritional and wellness tips that anyone can adopt in part, or in total, to continue helping improve the entire community’s cardiovascular health long after Hearts For Harmon ’09 concludes.

Hearts For Harmon was launched in 2008 in memory of The Newtown Bee’s late sports editor Kim Harmon, who died December 15, 2007, at the age of 45 of a heart attack, leaving behind his wife, Rebecca, and three children, Melissa, Benjamin, and Tyler.

The activity is being supported by the Newtown Health District, Newtown Savings Bank, Danbury Hospital, The American Heart Association, Laurie Veillette of Rescue Ropes LLC, the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Cody Foss of The Fitness Loft, Stacia Helfand, founder of Reality Bites, Visiting Nurses Association, Kevin’s Community Center, the Newtown Parks & Recreation Department, and The Bee.

A keynote talk from Danbury Hospital Cardiologist Harvey Kramer, MD, is set for 12:20 pm, and Newtown recording artist Daria Musk will showcase some of her original, upbeat material at 1:20 and 2:20 pm.

Gift certificates and other donations are being sought from local fitness, health and wellness providers to be used as raffle prizes, with all proceeds going to the American Heart Association.

Hearts For Harmon ’09 is also looking for 100 volunteers to take part in a one day “CPR Challenge,” with training sessions being held hourly beginning at 12:30 pm. Volunteers will learn the basics of CPR as well as the operation of public external defibrillators, and will go home with American Heart Association “CPR Anytime” kits.

Challenge volunteers will be asked to pledge to use the kits to help teach ten more people about CPR, with the goal of training 1,000 more local residents in the coming year. “CPR Challenge” volunteers are asked to sign up for one of the four, 50-minute training slots at the Booth Library front desk.

Walk-ups the day of the event will be added on a first-come, first served basis.

Volunteers are asked to make a $10 reservation donation, which will be presented to the AHA at the end of the event March 8. The value of the “CPR Anytime” kits each person will take home with them is $34.99.

Find more specific details on the CPR Challenge at www.RescueRopesLLC.com, just click on the bottom left link. For any other information, or to make a donation, contact co-chair John Voket by phone at 203-509-2246, or via email at john@thebee.com.