By COURTNEY POTTS
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Apr 08, 2009 @ 06:49 PM
UTICA —
About 15 local residents gathered at Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute Wednesday to participate in a half-mile walk sponsored by the American Heart Association.
The event was held as part of National Start! Walking Day, which encourages people nationwide to incorporate 30 minutes of walking into their daily routines.
The walk began at 10 a.m. with a brief proclamation from the City of Utica and Oneida County, read by Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente.
Picente also participated in the walk, which proceeded down Genesee Street to the Radisson Hotel - Utica Centre.
“It’s important for people to get out and exercise,” Picente said during the brisk stroll.
“With what this community has done with the heart walk, it’s not a once-a-year thing. It should be every day.”
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Participants dressed in coats, scarves and gloves to guard against the cold and said they thought more people would have come if not for the weather.
American Heart Association spokeswoman Mary Kate Hartmann said she was okay with the turnout, however, especially since it was a first-time event.
“It’s something we can only keep growing and raising awareness for,” she said.
National Start! Walking Day already is an annual event on a national level, and Hartmann said she’d like to see it become one in the Utica area as well.
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