Hear ye, Hear ye!

I was asked to give a few speeches since the 2011 Heart Walk to different companies in the Pittsburgh Area.  This one was recorded to share.  Just so you know my target audience is 5-8 year-olds, so don't you dare judge my speaking abilities;) It's definitely a first for me speaking to a law firm!  And no matter how many times I practiced the speech, this was the one time I couldn't stop crying- figures!  It's not my best but it explains why I do what I do and who I am today.  I hope it inspires you to join a team, donate to the American Heart Association, get heart healthy and/or spread awareness about heart disease in your area. 

Unfortunately we never think about getting involved until it "happens to us."  Please don't wait.  You or your loved ones could be suffering right now without even knowing it.  Go to the doctor.  Encourage them to go to the doctor.  Support research that could save your life today.

   I am. 

2012 Speech

 

 

 

 



Where in the World?

I hope after reading the title you broke into "is Carmen San Diego" afterwards.  No?  Just me?  Moving on... This post is dedicated to heart health awareness, specifically being active and getting that heart a-pumpin'!  It's also a way to take the Mafia and who you walk in memory of with you to places they may have never been. 

Knowing our blood pressure numbers is something we don't really pay attention to or don't even understand most of the time.  The only excitement that comes along with it is finding that the machine is available at Wal Mart and seeing how long you can stand the pressure, or throwing your younger sibling in it and running away.  But as we get older, it's time to open our eyes- we're not invisible (say whaaaat?!).  One of the most important things you can do to reduce your risk of a stroke or heart attack is to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level.  High blood pressure can cause heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and other serious problems.  Your blood pressure should be lower than 120/80.  If your blood pressure is normally low, a blood pressure considered normal might actually indicate an illness or health problem for you.  Blood pressure can also be affected by medications, stress, or lack of physical activity.

Therefore, LET'S DO SOMETHING!  Running has turned into a stress reliever for me (besides race day- then I'm all full of nerves at the starting line).  So I get to relieve some stress while doing physical activity- killing 2 birds with 1 one stone yee haw! This year, I have decided to get my team heart healthy with me.  I have encouraged them to wear their shirts to bucket list places or once in a lifetime places, as well as running some races with me.  Feel free to send me your pictures so that I can add them to the post!



Welcome to the Grand Canyon!

 

                       

Tina Greczek @ Myrtle Beach                                          Color Me Rad 5K

 

Mike McCoppin on the coast of Dublin

Lindsay Rummell @ a German Bier Fest

ME:)  Running the Pirates 5k HomeRun





2011 Heart Walk

October 22, 2011 was the first Heart Walk for Ron's Mustache Mafia.   As a Team Captain, I annoyed my teammates on a daily basis with motivating emails and encouraging Facebook statuses (you're welcome).  However, it all paid off in the end:)  I had so many selfless teamies that rose above and beyond to bring awareness about heart disease and stroke, landing us at the top of the leader boards!  I had set a goal to get 25 teammates, and raise $1,500 as a team.  Those goals had to be adjusted 3 times as our fundraising spiked each week.  With a total of $7,151.00, Ron's Mustache Mafia was the 1st place community team in Pittsburgh and in the top 10 overall (meaning top corporations)!  We were a huge contributor to the total amount raised for the entire walk which was over 1.2 million dollars! 

WAY TO GO TEAM!!!

Wondering why/how we all grew those glorious mustaches?  If you knew my dad, you knew him first and foremost by his stache...

Garsh he's handsome:)  So I wanted to pay as much of a tribute to my dad as I possibly could, and having a mustache was the best way to do that.  I know he was up there laughing at how ridiculous we all looked that day, but also so touched by all of the good sports who wore them. 

I didn't expect the walk to be as successful as it was, coming from such a small town and it being our first year.  Believe it or not, we actually have a fan base and stirred-up quite the competition for future years.  So... we can't stop now!  It's on to our second year as the mafia.  With bigger goals and more teammates, I am thrilled to share this experience yet again.  Which means- get ready for those annoying emails and status updates;)  Congrats, Ron's Mustache Mafia on an amazing and successful 2011 Heart Walk!  I hope to see you all again (and any new friends who would like to participate) on November 3, 2012.





Mafia Pride: Born 6/25/2011

For some people it's coffee, for others it's getting a good work-out in; but for me- creating Ron's Mustache Mafia was my wake-up call.  Thanks to Facebook and my good friend, Brandon Berns, The Heart Walk was brought into my life.  It was perfect timing to pull me out of my sadness and see how I could make a difference.  In no way shape or form am I changing the world, but the feeling I had through the whole experience was that of pride. 
Everytime I got an email saying that someone had "joined" my team, I smiled.  Then came the emails that someone had made a donation- my smile turned into a warm heart.  I'm not sure I've ever felt these feelings before in my life.  To know that people cared, that they wanted to make a difference, and that they could potentially be saving someone's life made every single day on this journey worth it.  People I didn't even know donated.  People I hadn't spoken to since high school or college donated.  We hear about such tragic news day in and day out, and think that all that's good in the world is lost... then you get moments like these. 
I'm so proud of myself (which I've never felt before) for starting Ron's Mustache Mafia.  I never thought it would take off the way that it did.  I'm so proud of those who joined my team, for coming together to raise awareness for heart disease and stroke.  I'm proud of those who donated, for giving a little bit of themselves in memory of someone they lost, in honor of someone who is fighting, or just out of the kindness of their hearts to stop these diseases.  I'm proud of those who walked that day- who gave up a few hours of their weekend to see that their efforts did make a difference, especially to those who lost loved ones.  You may never know how much that is.  Finally, I'm proud of my family.  For joining me and supporting me on this mission, and for all of the physical and emotional ups and downs we've had since September 9, 2009.  We made it- TOGETHER!

 

Although the team is named after my father, we were walking in memory of so many more loved ones we had lost.  My initial fight was for my father and Dennis Buggey.  By the time the walk came around, we were walking in memory of my grandfather, Elwin Morrow as well.  And as I started thinking of everyone we had lost, I realized that was WAY too many lives that were cut too short.  As a team, we were ALL walking in memory or in honor of someone we knew with heart disease.  So please know that the team name is not to raise money in memory of my father alone, but for all who have suffered, are suffering, or may suffer in the future because of heart disease or stroke.  Everytime I make an effort to raise money or awareness for the American Heart Association, I can feel my angels' pride in me... so don't expect me to stop anytime soon, because this feeling doesn't come around very often:)  



Who is she, anyway?

When my father unexpectedly passed away in 2009, it really hit me hard.  I had one of two choices... stay in a deep depression for the rest of my life, or live a better one that would make him proud.  The depression lasted longer than I would have liked, but I finally found the "Ron" in me to stand up for myself and make a difference.  I wouldn't recommend going through a divorce in the middle of your grieving, however why not get it all over with at once?  I mean, it did lead to some great weight loss!  That-on top of packing up and moving out of a 4-story townhouse AND 1st grade classroom- made me look like I knew all the secrets to weight loss (which I do of course I just choose not to use them). 

Lose your father, get a divorce, quit your teaching job when the economy is at its worst, and move back to small town PA to live with mommy again...sounds like a plan to me!

My mom had always wanted me to move back from Fairfax, VA and I kept reminding her, "be careful what you wish for."  I love being 28 years old having my mom yelling (before I'm even OUT of the room) to "Shut the lights off!!!!"  No really, I do.  It reminds me of my dad, but it also reminds me how blessed I am that I still have my mom. 

Something happened to me when I moved back.  I was a bit careless, I hurt people's feelings, I wasn't the family member or friend I needed to be, and I was an unemployed divorcee living with her widowed mother in the house my dad built.  I used that last part as my excuse for the way I acted.  It took a while to uninvite myself to that pity party, but I have also been blessed with few (I don't think many exist anymore) amazing, true friends who made me realize that I deserved to treat myself better and that's the first step to true happiness.  GENIUS!  Why didn't I think of that?!

In all honesty, I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my own personal cheerleaders.  I'd start listing you right now, but let's face it- I'd be attacked if someone's name didn't show up!  Yeah!  Girl power! Anyways, all I can hope for is that you know who you are and how much you have made a difference in my life.  Thank you for saving me and making me the person I am today- someone I am proud of, regardless of judgement. 

"You know my name, not my story. You've heard what I've done, not what I've been through."

It took me 2 years to finally do something that I felt my dad would be proud of me for.  I joined the American Heart Association Heart Walk in Pittsburgh in 2011 and it has changed my life.  I'm better now.  The pain of losing my father will never go away, but sometimes I feel us smiling at the same time :)