Top 10 Reasons to Support American Heart Association Advocacy Work

Help the Minnesota Advocacy Team reach our goal of raising $10,000 to support our advocacy work! Join our You’re the Cure Advocacy Heart Walk Team or make a donation today!

Top 10 reasons to support American Heart Association advocacy work with a donation today:

1. Keep our Freedom to Breathe! American Heart Association played a key role in passing the Freedom to Breathe Act in 2007 and we’ve been fighting to keep our law strong ever since.
   
2. Leadership on Policy to Address Childhood Obesity! In 2008 we formed the Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition and continue to lead the coalition. In 2009 we helped form the legislative working group working to tackle childhood obesity.
   
3. Passed the Healthy Kids Act in 2010! This Act created statewide standards for phy-ed as well as established a new Healthy Kids Awards program to encourage schools to promote healthy food and more physical activity.
   
4. Keep Tobacco Out of Our Kids’ Hands! In 2010 we passed the Tic Tac Tobacco Act—requiring new, candy-like tobacco products to be sold behind the counter and banning their sale to minors.
   
5. Strengthen Rural Stroke Care Access! We are leading efforts along with the Minnesota Department of Health to ensure that every Minnesotan gets the best stroke care possible regardless of where they live.
   
6. Heart on the Hill! This annual event brings volunteers together with their lawmakers at the Capitol. This year, along with our coalition partners, we brought 400 constituents together with 2/3 of the Legislature to educate them on tobacco policy.
   
7. Invest in Prevention! We helped pass the visionary Statewide Health Improvement Program in 2008 and continue to fight this year for continuation of the program. The current $47 million investment in local community strategies to address obesity and reduce tobacco use could reduce health care costs in Minnesota by $1.9 billion by 2015.
   
8. Promote Lifesaving CPR Training! In 2008 we passed legislation to ensure that when schools offer CPR instruction, they include the hands-on training. This year we have supported legislation to ensure proper training of daycare providers. Next year we will hold a Hands-Only CPR training for the Legislature and their staff at the Capitol.
   
9. Promote Health Equity! This year we helped bring over 50 advocates to the State Capitol to promote solutions to the health disparities among Minnesota communities.
   
10. Ensure Access to Physical Activity! In 2010 we helped pass Complete Streets legislation that helps ensure access to safe walking/biking routes in our communities. This year we have a bill to help ensure school facilities are more accessible to community members.

Walk with Us! Join Team You’re the Cure for the Twin Cities Heart Walk
Join our You’re the Cure Heart Walk team and walk with fellow advocates in taking a stand against heart disease and helping save lives! The walk is happening on Saturday, June 4th at Target Field. Follow this link to join our team and encourage your friends and family to do the same. If you are not able to join our heart walk team this year, please consider supporting us with a donation. We look forward to walking with you on June 4th!