Heart Walk is the American Heart Association’s premiere event for raising funds to save lives from America’s number one and number three killers — heart disease and stroke.

This year will mark the third year for Heart Walk in Surry County, according to Jeff McPherson, vice president of the Triad region of the American Heart Association. This will be the second year that the walk will be done as a Surry County event — with one walk going on in Mount Airy and one in Pilot Mountain simultaneously.

Designed to promote physical activity and heart-healthy living, Heart Walk creates an environment that’s fun and rewarding for the entire family. This year, more than one million walkers will participate in more than 425 events.

The walk in Mount Airy kicks off Saturday at 9 a.m. at Veterans Park. The one in Pilot Mountain also starts at 9 a.m. at the Edward Armfield Civic and Recreation Center.

This year, McPherson said, participants will have a card they will get punched at different booths that day that will make them eligible for prizes such as Carolina Panthers football tickets.

In Mount Airy, walkers will walk the length of the Emily B. Taylor Greenway and back to Veterans Park, which is about five miles. In Pilot Mountain, participants will be walking the trails behind the center, McPherson said.

“They can choose how far they want to walk and when they want to turn around and come back.”

Although the walk will be this weekend, McPherson said it’s not too late to sign up.

“There are people out there raising money, but we still need people to sign up. We welcome anybody to come be a part of it and that morning they can come be a part of it as well.”

The money raised will go to the American Heart Association’s mission, which is building healthier lives.

“We do that by funding research and educational programs throughout North Carolina. We are fortunate to have a lot of that money come back to do research very close to home at places like Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. We are doing programs to help save lives and to get people to realize the risk factors for cardio-vascular disease and stroke.”

Last year in Surry County $25,000 was raised during the Heart Walk.

“The hospital up there is very involved. They are going to be involved in even a bigger way this year than they were last year,” McPherson said. “We are anticipating a great crowd this year.”

Those who need information or supplies are encouraged to pick them up at the Southern Community Bank in Mount Airy and Surrey Bank & Trust in Pilot Mountain. Jim Lewis is the Mount Airy chair, and Ken Shelton is the Pilot Mountain chairman. Lewis can be reached at 789-2100, and Shelton can be reached at 368-1122.

Contact Mondee Tilley at mtilley@mtairynews.com or at 719-1930.