NATCHEZ &8212; A busy week for American Heart Association volunteers culminates Saturday in the annual Heart Walk, a time to celebrate survivors and to promote further research in heart disease and stroke.

JoAnn Marshall, regional director for the association, said the Saturday Heart Walk begins at the Marketplace Caf/, with registrations for runners at 7:30 a.m.

&8220;Opening ceremonies are at 8:15, and the walk and run begin at 8:30,&8221; she said. Runners will pay a $25 fee. Walkers participate free.

&8220;We encourage bringing children. It&8217;s never too soon to begin teaching children about a healthy lifestyle,&8221; Marshall said.

Thursday, the association hosts heart disease survivors at a luncheon at the The Natchez Eola Hotel. &8220;We&8217;re able to do this at no cost to the honorees because the hotel gave us such a good discount,&8221; she said.

It&8217;s a way to celebrate survival, Marshall said. &8220;We encourage survivors to bring guests, especially spouses,&8221; she said. &8220;No one goes through the battle of heart or cardio-vascular disease without the support of loved ones around them.&8221;

The luncheon attendees should be an interesting and diverse group, Marshall said. Heart and cardio-vascular diseases affect people of all ages and types.

&8220;It&8217;s a myth that heart disease affects only older people,&8221; she said.

That is one reason why the Heart Association campaign chooses a poster child each year. &8220;This disease affects everyone, including children, some of whom need intervention very early in life.&8221;

The 2006-2007 poster child is Coleman Love of Brookhaven, son of Jody and Niki Love, who was born in February 2005 with hypoplastic left heart.

The baby had surgery at Children&8217;s Hospital of Philadelphia, Pa., when he was five days old. In July, he had the second surgery.

His final surgery will be performed sometime in spring 2007.

Marshall said one of the campaign goals is to get the word out that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women and of men.

In February, the Go Red for Women celebration takes place, continuing the fundraising toward a 2006-2007 goal of $95,000 but with all the Go Red for Women contributions going directly to research into heart disease in women.

The overall campaign kickoff was in September. On Friday, teams will meet at AmSouth Bank to deliver funds collected to date.

&8220;It&8217;s a lofty goal, $20,000 above last year,&8221; Marshall said.

Meanwhile, all involved in the campaign want to raise not only money but also awareness. &8220;We want to promote our slogan of get moving, get healthy and go to your doctor,&8221; Marshall said.