Kern County Heart and Stroke Walk happening Saturday virtually

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — On Saturday Kern county residents are coming together to support the American Heart Association for the annual Kern County Heart and Stroke Walk, which will be held virtually.

This year participants are being encouraged to participate from home and engage with a live stream held on the Kern County American Heart Association's Facebook page. The event will start at 9 a.m. and will feature a local survivor sharing her personal journey with a heart attack that occurred right after the event last year.

Then a short warm-up will happen, and everyone will be invited to enjoy their favorite physical activity. To encourage a sense of togetherness today, the association says you can post a 'healthy selfie' on social media using #kerncountyheartwalk.

The CDC says America's leading cause of death is heart disease, and the fifth-leading cause is stroke. The Heart Association says today's event is a fun and meaningful way to celebrate heart and stroke survivors, raise lifesaving funds, and encourage an active lifestyle.

To register for the walk, or donate to the cause, you can go to the event's webpage.