The American Heart Association brought its annual Heart Walk to the Boston Common on Sunday, Oct. 26, joining more than a million “Heart Walk Heroes” across 300 locations nationwide.
The event honored loved ones lost, recognized survivors of heart disease and stroke, and encouraged bystanders to become lifesavers through CPR education. Clapping to the rhythm of a heartbeat, hundreds of participants kicked off the lap around The Common. The walk featured a “Survivor Lane,” giving those who have battled heart disease and stroke a moment in the spotlight.
Every 34 seconds, someone in the United States dies from cardiovascular disease, which is the nation’s leading cause of death, according to the AHA. The survival rate for an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is only 10%, often because bystanders lack CPR training, according to Adriene Worthington, vice president of community impact at the AHA.
“The primary goal of today’s event is to help everybody understand that they are part of the nation of lifesavers,” Worthington told The Beacon. “Whether that is learning CPR, working in healthcare, or raising funds to help us with research, everybody has a role in heart health and brain health.”
Walking is one simple way for people to improve their cardiovascular fitness. Displayed on banners throughout the Common, the event’s slogan reminded participants that “all steps lead to extraordinary outcomes.”
Extraordinary also described the long line of walkers queued up for free shoes at the Reebok stand. The Boston-based company joined local hospitals and biomedical companies at tents around the Common. CVS Health, the national sponsor of the AHA, offered free checkups.
Former Red Sox player Manny Delcarmen also participated in promoting CPR education, signing baseballs at a Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center tent, the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox.
The AHA’s goal is that at least one person in every household understands hands-only CPR by 2028. As of mid-2024, over 40 states have passed legislation requiring high school students to receive CPR training before graduation, according to SchoolCPR.
Worthington, a CPR Educator, set up her demonstration mannequin right next to the children’s station. Beats of songs like “Wannabe” by the Spice Girls and “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor helped pace the CPR compressions while she guided children through the routine.
Among her students was Kevin Pereira’s daughter in a purple t-shirt that read “#JosieStrong.” The father-daughter duo came in support of his friend’s 10-year-old daughter Josie, who had open-heart surgery at seven weeks old.
“She had three holes in her heart,” Pereira said. “Now she’s doing great, and loves playing sports.”
For Pereira, CPR training became personal after his 18-year-old niece saved her father’s life during a sudden cardiac arrest. They were driving home from the movies when her father suffered a heart attack behind the wheel.
“He passed out, so her cousin jumped to the front seat, controlled the car safely to the side of the road, and gave him CPR,” Pereira said. “You never know that those few minutes can save a life.”
In addition to the survivors in the crowd, many walked in remembrance. In red shirts, one fundraising team, “Diane’s Darlings,” walked in honor of their Nana Diane, who passed away earlier this year after a stroke.
Juliana Cimino, Diane’s granddaughter, brought her family together with the original fundraising goal of $1000, “so less families have to go through stuff like this in the future,” she said.
The walk brought up mixed emotions for Cimino.
“We’re super happy to be here and happy we could honor her today, but obviously we wish she was still here,” she said. Diane’s Darlings exceeded their goal by collecting over $2,700.
Fundraising teams raised money by setting up personal pages on the AHA’s website. Unlike many nonprofits, the AHA’s programs and research are exclusively funded through donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. The 2025 Boston Heart Walk raised over $1.1 million for the AHA.
“With research funding facing uncertainty nationwide, it’s important that people understand the long-term nature of this work,” said Lisa Abbott, the executive vice president and chief human resource officer at Boston Children’s Hospital. “The money raised today helps fund the research that might cure diseases tomorrow.”
Abbott will be the lead organizer for next year’s walk. Her grandfather had open heart surgery when he was 84 years old and lived to be 100. “Nearly everyone has been affected in some way by heart or brain disease,” said Abbott.
“I think that shared sense of community and commitment to the future with these kinds of events really help to show that none of us are in it alone,” she said.
Worthington came to the event with one goal in mind. She wants people to walk away knowing they have the tools to save a life if needed. “If someone collapses, call 911, then push hard and fast on the chest until help arrives.”
