Kaleida Health Foundation partners with Buffalo Marathon to raise funds to fight heart disease

The Kaleida Health Foundation is partnering with the Buffalo Marathon for the second year to raise funds to fight heart disease in Western New York and benefit the cardiac programs at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute (BGMC/GVI).

Kaleida Health “Heart to Heart Relay,” presented by The Buffalo Marathon, will again feature teams of up to four who collectively run the marathon. Last year’s first “Heart to Heart Relay” raised over $76,000 and had nearly 50 teams participate. Runners included physicians and staff from BGMC/GVI, Boston Marathon race director and triple-bypass surgery patient Dave McGillivray, stroke and cardiac survivors and many more.

After a low initial sign-up fee, the relay teams rally together to reach out to their social networks, including friends, families and co-workers to fundraise in support of the cause.

New this year, runners of the Buffalo half-marathon and full marathon will also have the option to choose a lower initial sign-up fee for their races, and fundraise for heart disease to reach their goal.

Whether they’re running in remembrance of a family member or are a survivor of a cardiovascular disease, the Buffalo Marathon and its runners will be dedicated to helping Western New York fight this disease together. The race is slated for next spring.

A press release said, “Western New York is fortunate to have the cardiac program at Buffalo General Medical Center/Gates Vascular Institute, one of the highest-ranked heart programs in the nation. Because of their dedication to achieving best possible outcomes for their patients, the team, with the financial support of the Kaleida Health Foundation, consistently brings the newest technologies available and is able to treat all types of cardiac conditions. Treating patients right here in the community results in faster return to home and quicker recovery.

“The Buffalo Marathon chose to partner with Kaleida Health and continues to increase this fundraising component to improve the health and wellness of Western New Yorkers. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease accounts for one in seven deaths in the United States, and about 92.1 million American adults are living with some form of cardiovascular disease or after-effects of a stroke. In Western New York, those rates are exponentially higher.”

Registration for the Kaleida Health “Heart to Heart Relay” and all Buffalo Marathon events is now open.