Birmingham’s Heart Walk, put on by the American Heart Association (AHA), is six days away and organizers are pleased with the work done to pivot the walk into the virtual space.

“The focus of the Heart Walk is to have fun and to be a celebration for the hard work our participants have put in this year,” said Hannah Carroll, director of the Heart Walk. “All the funds go toward our mission, and this is a day to celebrate that.”

The Heart Walk raises funds to educate people about protecting their heart. The event engages the community and provides resources to live a healthy life.

Birmingham Heart Walk 2020 goes virtual from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

The AHA has placed an emphasis on online promotions and fundraising during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The AHA has done such a great job of quickly pivoting and providing us resources that make it just a little bit easier, especially as we go through uncharted waters,” said Lizzi Wilkerson, executive director for the Birmingham market of the AHA. “We’ve never experienced this, there’s no blueprint for this and AHA has really risen above in this time.”

Cardiovascular disease is the nation’s No. 1 cause of death. Joining the Heart Walk is an opportunity to learn about prevention.

“There are too many things that are preventable about heart disease, so we’ve got to do better and that takes the support of everyone,” Wilkerson said.

Birmingham’s first virtual Heart Walk will be held June 13. (Getty Images)

In the midst of COVID-19 issues, the AHA has invested more than $2.5 million into research, resources, health care and CPR training.

“We do a lot of advocacy and we will continue, but right now we’re focused around making sure every family has equal access to care,” Wilkerson said. “That’s important right now.”

Showing up for the Heart Walk will look different this year. Walkers are encouraged to RSVP on the Heart Walk Facebook page and post how they’re active on social media.

“It doesn’t stop with Birmingham now.” Carroll said. “The beautiful thing about it being a virtual event is that it’s worldwide.”

Anyone can virtually join the AHA Heart Walk on June 13 – wherever they are – to raise awareness and “be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.”