(Photo courtesy of St. Charles Health Care)
Spark Your Heart, an annual Fourth of July 5K race to raise funds for St. Charles Health System’s cardiovascular programs, will start with a bang Saturday in Riverbend Park.
The event begins at 7:45am with the Children’s Heart Fund Dash for children who are 8 years old and younger, and continues with a 5K race at 8:15am that attracts hundreds each year.
Funds from Spark Your Heart help support patients with gas cards, scholarships for cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, free screenings for pediatric heart disease and support for families navigating the often frightening and confusing process of treatment after a child has been diagnosed.
“Knowledge is power,” said Jill Thompson, who helped found the Children’s Heart Fund after her own daughter was diagnosed with a life-threatening heart condition. “When you have someone who explains to you why something is being done—the tubes, the wires, the ventilator, the alarms that keep going off in your child’s room—it’s provides peace of mind because you understand that this is all part of the greater good, and you have an education that they will get better.”
About St. Charles Foundation
As the philanthropic arm of St. Charles Health System, the Foundation works to support and improve health care in Central and Eastern Oregon. Private donations raised by the Foundation allow St. Charles to build new medical facilities, purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment, keep pace with the latest technological advances and deliver exceptional patient care in a healing environment. The Foundation does more than just raise money for bricks and mortar. The organization also raises money to support many programs that benefit low-income and uninsured patients.
