GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) - Smiles, cheers, and music filled Jones Park on Saturday as thousands put one foot in front of the other for the American Heart Association’s 33rd annual Heart Walk.

“It feels incredible to have such tremendous community support,” American Heart Association Executive Director Christin Leboeuf said. “All of our donors, sponsors, all the companies across the Coast. There’s representation from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula. They’re all here this morning and it feels amazing to know so many people care for the health of our community.”

Leboeuf says the walk is a strong fight for those battling heart complications, raising hundreds of dollars for critical research, treatment, and more.

“As of this [Saturday] morning, we’ve raised over $303,000, and we have so much more coming in,” Leboeuf said. “People continuing to raise money, companies that are wrapping up their fundraisers, and we are excited not to just have met but exceeded our goal. It goes a long way.”

Many took part in the walk because heart disease hits home for them.

“The reason why I do this is because of my father,” Quang Tran said. “He had heart surgery, so I do it every year.”

Businesses also work to support their employees who are impacted.

“We have a lot of heart survivors at our job, so we want to be able to contribute to that,” U.S. Marines Inc. HR Manager Teresa Roberts said.

From walking to obstacle courses, those in attendance not only raised awareness and money for cardiovascular disease but also learned life-saving skills.

“The walkers are having a great time,” Leboeuf said. “They’re learning how to do CPR. They’re learning how to live a healthier life and they’re getting more active.”

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