Bend, Ore. — 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.
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.”
The event begins at 7:45 a.m. with the Children’s Heart Fund Dash for children who are 8 years old and younger, and continues with a 5K race at 8:15 a.m. that attracts hundreds each year.
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