It’s Heart Walk time! Three months from now, the Greater Nashville Heart Walk will take place at Vanderbilt University on Saturday, October 12. Team registration is open, and teams are encouraged to sign up and set their fundraising goals at . There is no registration fee.

The annual event is the largest single fundraiser for the American Heart Association, and funds go to vital research, public health programs and community education about the no. 1 killer of Americans, cardiovascular disease. The Nashville edition of the Heart Walk is one of the largest in the country in terms of participants and funds raised. Last year’s walk drew more than 12,000 participants and raised $1.75 million. This year’s fundraising goal is $2 million.

Prior to the Walk start, a two-hour festival will take place, featuring interactive games, music, displays and activities for the whole family.

Ken Harms, president, UPS Mid-South District and Gregg Morton, president, AT&T Tennessee are heading the effort as co-chairs of the Walk.

The Heart Walk is part of the American Heart Association’s My Heart. My Life. platform, encouraging Americans to get physically active and eat a healthy diet as steps toward a heart-healthy lifestyle and improved health of the community. Heart disease and stroke take the lives of 1 in 3 Americans, including 17,000 Tennesseans per year. But up to 80% of cardiovascular disease is preventable through healthy living choices we make every day.

The Heart Walk is nationally sponsored by Subway Restaurants and Jenny Craig. Local My Heart. My Life. cause sponsors are UPS and Vanderbilt Heart.