BATON ROUGE, LA — September 5, 2018 — Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome will join forces with ten mayors from around the nation as they Move with the Mayor™ throughout the month of September. This campaign, in partnership with the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention, promotes being active as a means to improve the health of their cities. Mayor Broome will host four fitness events to encourage residents to get active and work toward the reduction of heart disease.

Mayor Broome will partner with local organizations to highlight their efforts. “I encourage citizens to join me throughout the month of September to get moving. If I can be an example of good health, I think I can inspire others start a health journey of their own,” said Mayor Broome. “We all have very busy schedules, but just 30 minutes of exercise a day can add years to our lives.”

Heart disease kills more than 600,000 Americans each year. Surveys show that many citizens are unaware that heart disease claims more lives than all types of cancer combined.

“Too many people don’t realize that cardiovascular disease is America’s No. 1 cause of death,” said John Clymer, executive director of the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention. “It’s a silent epidemic that’s killing hundreds of thousands of Americans every year.”

Mayors will encourage their citizens to take literal steps to improve their health by walking, since it is one of the easiest ways to lower one’s chances of heart disease and its risk factors, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Schedule of Events:

September 5: Capital Heights Social Ride, 7-8 p.m., Ingleside Methodist Church

September 11: Happy’s Running Club, 6-7 p.m., downtown next to Roux House Courtyard

September 21: Fitness Rocks, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Galvez Plaza

September 26: Move with the Mayor, 12:00-12:30 p.m., City Hall

For more information, visit https://www.nationalforum.org/collaborations/move-with-the-mayor/.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL FORUM FOR HEART DISEASE & STROKE PREVENTION

The National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention leads and encourages collaborative action to prevent the number one cause of death, cardiovascular disease. More than 90 organizations from public health, health care, industry, government and academia belong to the National Forum. It is a tax-exempt, independent non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization.