Craig Riggs is a Senior Social Worker with DCHS.  He's been working with King County for 15 years.  He is pictured here with staff and volunteers from the American Heart Association at Federal Lobby Day, April 2009.

Move More - Take Action
with the Heart Walk

START! HEART WALK: Step Up to Save Lives
October 2, 2010

For many people, heart disease or stroke changes their life in an instant.   It happened to Craig Riggs in August 2007. Craig was playing tennis at his club, like he had done hundreds of times before, when his heart suddenly stopped.

“I had a cardiac arrest on the tennis court. My tennis buddies began CPR and called 911. Medics were working on me within minutes.” Paramedics administered two shocks to Craig’s heart before they got a heartbeat and rushed him to the hospital.

“I woke up 24 hours later having had a life-saving triple bypass operation. I have a lot to be thankful for. The American Heart Association through the years provided research and training that helped save my life.”

This year, Craig is once again putting on a survivor red cap and walking at the Start! Puget Sound Heart Walk. He is one of many King County employees and survivors who are part of a long tradition in supporting the Heart Walk. Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, affect one in three Americans and are the leading cause of death in King County. By participating in the Heart Walk, we’re not only doing something great for our hearts but also supporting an important cause.

Craig Riggs knows how important this fight is. Research supported by the American Heart Association led to medical advances that helped to save his life, but funding for research isn’t always easy to get. In April 2009, Craig traveled to Washington DC and joined AHA volunteers in meeting with our state lawmakers to ask for more for more federal funding for cardiovascular research. It’s one of the many things that Heart Walk donations help to fund, and create a bigger impact on others.

The Start! Puget Sound Heart Walk will be held Saturday, October 2 at a new location, the Seattle Center. Do something good for your heart and support the American Heart Association by walking with our King County team!

You can register for this year’s Heart Walk by following these steps:

• Visit the Heart Walk website www.pugetsoundheartwalk.org
• Click the red “Register” button, following the instructions regarding review of the Waiver/Agreement, and then select “Start a Team” to become a Team Captain or “Join a Team” to become a walker
• For Team Captains: Under the “Start a Team” section, click “New Team Under” and select the name of the company you are walking for (King County)
• For Walkers: Under the “Join a Team” section, select King County and pick from the list of teams available