The American Heart Association’s Orange County Heart and Stroke Walk 2024 took place on Saturday morning, drawing 7,000 participants to Anaheim to take strides towards better heart health.
KTLA 5’s Wendy Burch – who has been a spokesperson for the American Heart Association for more than a decade – served as the event’s Master of Ceremonies, even “double fisting” her KTLA news microphone with the main stage microphone to congratulate participants for raising $1.1 million during Saturday’s walk at Angel Stadium, which featured one mile and 5K options.
Several walkers shared their stories with Wendy, including a 6-year-old girl named Olivia who has had three heart surgeries throughout her young life.
“It means a lot to me to have the support of the American Heart Association because the funds are being used to further research towards congenital heart defects, which is what Olivia was born with,” said Olivia’s mother Tamika. “[As they get] further with their research, our children are starting to live longer.”
More information about the walk, including ways to donate, can be found here.