(WARRENSBURG, Mo.) – The Johnson County Heart Walk is coming to the Western Missouri Medical Center campus Saturday, Oct. 7.

The annual event is expected to bring more than 500 walkers to the medical center campus to raise funds to assist in the fight against cardiovascular disease, according to a news release.

The 2017 Johnson County Heart Walk is being planned by a committee of local residents who are working with the American Heart Association. With the walk ceremony beginning at 9:10 a.m., participants are expected to begin arriving around 8 a.m. for a family-friendly morning that will include activities for children, sponsor booths, and heart information. All activities begin on the west side of Western Missouri Medical Center in front of the main entrance.

Committee members planning the event have set a $65,000 fundraising goal, having raised nearly $50,000 during last year’s event. To help achieve this goal, contributions have been made by local corporate sponsors, various teams of individuals and others.

For more information about the Johnson County Heart Walk or for sponsorships, visit the website http://www.johnsoncountyheartwalk.orgor contact Amanda Avent, AHA corporate events director for the Warrensburg, Sedalia and St. Joseph areas, at 660-441-0090 or email amanda.avent@heart.org.