CSRA Heart Walk Brings in $426,000 for Heart Disease Prevention

Over 2,000 participants gathered at SRP Park for the CSRA Heart Walk on March 28, 2025. The event raised $426,000 to fight heart disease.

"It's all about getting to celebrate those survivors," said Ansley Howze, executive director of the American Heart Association for Upstate SC and the CSRA, to The Post and Courier.

Savannah River Nuclear Solution led with $95,686 in team donations. Savannah River Mission Completion added $40,136, while JC Epting topped individual giving at $17,357.

The event drew nearly twice the expected crowd — 2,000 showed up though just 1,200 registered. Activities included CPR training, vendor displays, and a special T-shirt showcase.

The stats tell a stark story: heart disease affects 121 million adults in America. It caused 30% of deaths in 2016, taking 2,300 lives daily — one every 38 seconds.

At the walk, former ER doctor Richard Pawl shared his switch from treating patients to becoming one. After bypass surgery at 48, he survived a recent scare when his heart stopped for 10 minutes.

"I believe in the American Heart Association and the research that they do, we wouldn't be standing here today and talking to you if they didn't," said Jean Pawl, who, like her husband Richard, survived heart surgery.

Dr. Lily Henson, CEO of Piedmont Augusta, discussed their cardiac care advances. The hospital contributed $18,336 to the cause.

This walk and February's SCRA Heart Ball are the association's main fundraisers. Money raised supports studies and local efforts to reduce heart disease.