MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - The American Heart Association is gearing up for its annual Rutherford County Heart Walk, and Chandra Story, a public health professor at Middle Tennessee State University and a member of the AHA board, is encouraging neighbors to lace up, show up and support lifesaving heart‑health education.
“Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in this country,” Story said. “Almost all of us are touched by it in some way. This is an opportunity, in alignment with our True Blue Pledge, to be a valuable member and giver to our community, in time and funds.”
The walk steps off at 8:00 a.m. Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic’s Garrison Drive location. Participants can choose a 1‑ or 2‑mile loop on flat, paved paths—easy for strollers, kids and walkers of all abilities. J.B. Horn, developmental director for the Nashville AHA, said the event is designed to be welcoming, energetic and deeply rooted in community impact.
The rain‑or‑shine morning will include hands‑only CPR demonstrations, blood pressure checks, a kids’ corner, survivor stories and a new Heart Walk experience focused on CPR education. Horn said the goal is simple: help more people feel confident stepping in when seconds matter.
“Most cardiac arrests don’t happen in hospitals; they happen at home or work, around people who want to help but don’t always know how,” he said. “If more bystanders are ready, more lives can be saved.”
This year’s fundraising goal is $100,000, with more than half already raised. Residents can register or donate at https://tinyurl.com/2dwwnnbv.
Story joined the board last fall after her graduate students partnered with the AHA on a class project. The mission is personal for her—both her father and mother‑in‑law died from complications of heart disease.
“It resonates with me as a community health educator and, previously, a clinical medical technologist,” she said.
The 2026 theme, “turning bystanders into lifesavers”, underscores the push to ensure at least one person in every household knows CPR. In a county that prides itself on stepping up for neighbors, organizers say this year’s walk is a chance to do exactly that.
