Get moving to beat heart disease and stroke at the 35th annual Manulife Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart

Register for free and give your health a boost with a new five-week health and wellness journey, presented by Manulife

TORONTO, May 9, 2022 /CNW/ - The Manulife Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart is celebrating its 35^th anniversary this year. On June 5, thousands of people across Canada will come together virtually to get active and help beat heart disease and stroke. Participants will ride, walk or run and raise funds to support heart and stroke research, health promotion and advocacy efforts to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery.

More than two years of grinding disruption due to the pandemic has strained our healthcare system.  Heart disease and stroke have not gone away. People living with heart disease and stroke need care and support more than ever. The pandemic has left many — with existing conditions or newly diagnosed — sicker, with more complex issues and harder to treat, some with irreversible damage. By funding research, we can create advances in diagnosis, care, treatment and recovery that are vital to address these mounting needs.  

"We're calling on people across Canada to join us on June 5 to celebrate Ride's 35^th anniversary by getting active in their communities while raising funds for critical heart and stroke programs," says Doug Roth, CEO, Heart & Stroke. "We are excited to introduce a new series, The Road to Health and Wellness, through our Ride for Heart app. People can use the app to help them train for the event or as a way to continue their training after the event."

Achieve your health and wellness goals in time for the Ride on June 5

The Road to Health and Wellness, presented by Manulife, is a free, five-week series now available through the Ride for Heart mobile app. Participants can try a new activity or healthy habit each week, choosing from the suggestions included within the series, and find inspiring resources to assist them as they embark on their personal wellness journey. Those who participate can earn badges as a reward for completing activities and share their wellness tips and questions in the community forum. Each week, a different health expert will host a live Q&A event, held through Zoom.

"Manulife has been a proud title sponsor of Ride for Heart since 2018, and we're excited to continue the momentum this year by introducing the Road to Health and Wellness," says Mike Doughty, President & CEO, Manulife Canada. "We're committed to making decisions easier and lives better – and empowering sustained health and well-being is a key focus, not just during event day, but all year long. Alongside Heart & Stroke, we're pleased to provide an opportunity for people across Canada to come together to promote healthy living and raise funds for this important cause."

Make every beat count by downloading the Ride for Heart app

Download the app available through the Google Play Store and the Apple iOS store (compatible with FitBit, Garmin, Strava, Google Fit and Apple Health)  and connect your activity trackers, set a distance goal, participate in fun challenges and plan your Event Day route. Ride, walk or run a heart-shaped route, or create your own on Google Maps using the step-by-step guide on rideforheart.ca. On June 5, the app will also feature personal stories of people in Canada living with heart disease and stroke.

Participants are encouraged to share event day photos and screenshots of their completed heart-shaped routes on social media by using the hashtag, #HeartandStrokeRideasOne

Since its inception in 1988, the Manulife Heart & Stroke Ride for Heart has seen hundreds of thousands of participants and raised a total of $78 million. These funds support heart and stroke research, health promotion and advocacy efforts that assist with Heart & Stroke's mission to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery.

Heart & Stroke funds research through the support of generous donors. This funding has made several health innovations possible, including the development of a technique used during the first successful heart transplant in Canada, the first in-utero surgery to correct congenital heart defects and the development of the clot-busting drug tPA, which is used to treat ischemic stroke.

To register for the 35^th annual Manulife Ride for Heart for free, visit rideforheart.ca.

About Heart & Stroke

Life. We don't want you to miss it. That's why Heart & Stroke has been leading the fight to beat heart disease and stroke for 70 years. We must generate the next medical breakthroughs, so Canadians don't miss out on precious moments. Together, we are working to prevent disease, save lives and promote recovery through research, health promotion and public policy.

SOURCE Heart & Stroke

For more information and interview requests, please contact: Jessica Weingarten, Senior Communications Manager - Brand & Fundraising, Heart & Stroke, Phone: [phone], [email protected]