COLLEGE STATION, Texas (November 13, 2008) – Members of the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine’s chapter of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) are proud to host the 2nd Annual Healthy Heart 5K on Saturday, November 15.

The event concludes the month-long promotion of events encouraging exercise, including the 10,000 Step Challenge. Students participating in the challenge secured sponsors to donate $1 for every day they walked 10,000 steps, leading to better fitness and a  healthier heart.

According to the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine, “All healthy adults ages 18-65 should get at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity five days a week.”  With Americans decreasing their daily activities and obesity rising in young children, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in adults according to the Center of Disease Control.

All proceeds from the race will benefit the Health for All Clinic in the Brazos Valley and Martha’s Clinic in Temple.  Health For All is a community supported, volunteer based organization founded in 1987 to provide free medical, pharmaceutical, counseling, and vision care to low income adults in the Brazos Valley without health insurance.

Martha's Health Clinic was founded in 1994 by two HSC-College of Medicine students.  Having started out as a one-room venture, the clinic now encompasses an entire wing and is staffed by medical students and local physicians who are dedicated to providing quality healthcare to the homeless of Temple and Bell County.

Race day registration for the Healthy Heart 5K is $15 and will begin at 8 a.m. at the Reynolds Medical Building on Texas A&M University’s west campus.  The run/walk starts at 9 a.m. at the Reynolds Building.  For more information, please contact TMA Vice-President Ellen Ngo at engo@medicine.tamhsc.edu.