12,000 people participate in 20th annual Heart Walk of the Palm Beaches

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Thousands of people in West Palm Beach are showing just how much heart they really have. This morning, they laced up their running and walking shoes for a great cause: the Heart Walk of the Palm Beaches. With every step they take, they’re raising money and awareness to battle the number one killer of both men and women.

"Good morning, walkers!" said NBC Today Show Anchor Natalie Morales, as she waved to the crowd about to start the American Heart Association’s 5K walk.

What does Morales share with thousands of people in West Palm Beach? They've all been touched by heart disease. Morales served as mistress of ceremonies for the American Heart Association's Heart Walk of the Palm Beaches. She also ran the 5K run with her dad, who lives in Palm Beach County and is a stroke survivor.

“For me, the message really hits close to home, literally,” she explained, “because had my sister not been there and recognized the signs that he was having a stroke, he would not be here today."

Eighty-six year old Judith Rubin is here 21 years after heart surgery. She and her husband Samuel, who is 93, have been walking this walk ever since.

"I say "Thank God, I'm here," Rubin said. “My family appreciates everything. We're very fortunate."

The American Heart Association estimated as many as 12,000 people turned out for the event. While it's a lot of fun, it's all for a very serious cause: raising money awareness to fight a disease that kills more than 800,000 people each year.

The goal locally is to raise one million dollars. The American Heart Association is the largest fundraiser for research and education outside the federal government. As everyone running or walking the race makes strides, doctors say treatment is making strides, too, for adults right down to babies.

"There are tremendous advances in the last few years,” Dr. Michael Black, a pediatric cardiac surgeon at St. Mary’s Medical Center, told WPTV, “some of them diagnostic elements, so pregnant women now can be diagnosed much earlier, which allows for better care of the baby and a better outcome."

Even with medical advances, doctors still advise everyone to watch their diet, exercise and lower their blood pressure and cholesterol, if needed.

"For each 1% that you reduce your cholesterol level, you actually reduce your risk of having a cardiovascular event by 2%,” explained Dr. James Morris, a cardiac surgeon with Boca Raton Regional Hospital, “so with a 10% reduction in cholesterol, you reduce your risk of having a heart attack, for example, by 20%."

It’s good news for the people walking and running their way to better health for themselves and the countless others who will benefit from the American Heart Association's work for years to come.

To learn more about this year’s Heart Walk, go to www.PalmBeachHeartWalk.org .