Natchez — The American Heart and Stroke Association and Kenny Dukes, event chairperson from Natchez Regional Medical Center will host the Miss-Lou American Heart Walk Kick Off Celebration on Wednesday, July 11, 2007.

The Kick Off Celebration will be at the historic Natchez Eola and will begin at noon. A heart healthy lunch will be served to all prospective team captains and sponsors who attend.

The Miss-Lou American Heart Walk is a community event that raises awareness about our nation’s No. 1 killer, heart disease and No. 3 killer, stroke. Almost 12,000 Mississippians and 15,000 Louisianans died from heart disease in the last year.

Local residents who participate in the Miss-Lou American Heart Walk also raise funds for the American Heart and Stroke Association to help prevent these dreaded diseases from claiming more lives. The funds raised benefit the American Heart and Stroke Association’s research, professional and public education programs, community services and advocacy efforts.

Research funded by the American Heart & Stroke Association has yielded or contributed to many important innovations — such as CPR, life-extending drugs (including clot-busters), pacemakers, bypass surgery, the heart-lung machine and surgical techniques to repair heart defects.

These and other advances are making it possible for many to call themselves “survivors.”

Participating in the MissLou American Heart Walk is both fun and easy. To learn more about how you and your company can participate in this event, please RSVP for the Kick Off Celebration on July 11 by calling 318-767-5700 or by e-mailing joann.marshall@heart.org.