The American Heart Association, or AHA, hosts hundreds of Heart Walks across the country each year to raise research funds and increase awareness of heart health. This year, the Dallas Heart Walk is moving to Las Colinas in Irving.
Tens of thousands have come out to the Dallas Heart Walk each year to tackle a one- or three-mile course at Reunion Tower Lawn. On Oct. 18, the event will instead take place at Levy Event Plaza, which organizers say offers more space for over 30,000 expected participants.
Danielle Chelf leads the team that oversees the Dallas Heart Walk. She said the walk offers a chance for AHA to educate the public on how to respond to someone going into cardiac arrest.
According to AHA data, around 90% of people who go into cardiac arrest outside of a hospital don’t survive. Chelf said that’s because most bystanders “don’t feel confident” enough to act in an emergency.
Her organization wants to have at least one person in every household educated in hands-only CPR by 2030.
“Heart Walk is where we reach the masses,” Chelf said. “As you come to the lawn that morning, we’ll have places to learn hands-only CPR, we’ll have messaging, we’ll have all of these things to make sure that people feel confident and equipped.”
The Dallas Heart Walk is one of the largest in the country, although participation fell during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chelf said as participation rebounded in 2023 and 2024, her team wanted to find a location that could accommodate parking needs and serve as a central location for participants coming from other parts of North Texas. They chose Las Colinas late last year.
While the location is new, the duration and difficulty of the walk remain the same as before. The walk will still feature a “survivor lane” at the end of the course for those who have lived through heart disease or stroke to receive a medal and ring a ceremonial bell.
Walkers of all ages and abilities are eligible to participate.
“You’ll see someone as young as two being pushed in a stroller and as old as 80, [a] grandparent, coming out and participating,” Chelf said. “It’s pretty unique across the board for our organization to be able to bring almost every step of life to some type of event.”
Got a tip? Email Andy Lusk at alusk@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you!
