MEGA Heart at the Poughkeepsie Galleria
In honor of February being Heart Health Awareness Month, a MEGA Heart event took place at the Poughkeepsie Galleria. The event was hosted by The Heart Center, whose parent company is HealthQuest. The purpose of the event was “to raise awareness about heart disease and living a heart healthy life,” said Sarah Collmello, Manager of Public Relations at The Heart Center. The goal of the event was to teach people to take care of their heart because it’s a vital organ. “Our body is an engine; the heart is the motor. Just like we have to get our car clean-ups, we have to put the right oil in our bodies by eating right and treating it right,” said Collmello.
The event was really for everybody, informing adults and children alike. The event was set up in the mall’s center court, with the walk-through MEGA heart standing out as the main attraction. The MEGA heart exhibit stretched 26 feet long, 13 feet tall and 15 feet wide. Inside and along the heart were informative facts about the major parts of the heart that allow it to work, infections that can occur within the heart, how a pacemaker helps monitor heart rhythms and much more.
Along with the MEGA heart, there were also a bunch of family-friendly activities. Tables were set out as stations throughout the mall’s center court that gave different information on how to promote heart healthy habits. Some of the stations included physical activity, jump rope, nutrition, messages for stress relief and even a station that informed people how to perform CPR in case of an emergency; all things to help people maintain a healthy heart lifestyle.
Dr. Simon Gorwara, President of the Heart Center with HealthQuest, was very impressed with the way the exhibit brought education and awareness to the community, especially regarding the station that taught people how to perform basic life support. Being a cardiologist himself, Gorwara felt the MEGA heart was oversimplified but felt the concept was there for people to understand it better. “Healthy living leads to a healthy heart. The Hudson Valley has so many opportunities: people can go hiking, there’s the walkway, and some great restaurants that have the right healthy food options. So there is no reason we shouldn’t be taking care of our health and hearts,” said Gorwara.
Upcoming from May 13-June 24 is the “Get Fit Hudson Valley” challenge. This 6-week fitness challenge encourages HealthQuest employees and the Hudson Valley community to be active and kick-start a healthy lifestyle. The way this challenge works is that each participant logs in their 30-minute fitness activity at the participating locations to enter; all physical activities count. The more entries submitted, the better your chance of winning prizes to keep you motivated. Prizes can include an Apple Watch, NutriBullet RX, gift cards and much more. To get a head start on your fitness journey to a healthy heart, visit GetFitHV.com to sign up and learn more.
