February is here and thanks to Valentine’s Day, we see heart shapes everywhere. That’s why it’s apropos that February is also American Heart Month, a reminder not to skip a beat when it comes to taking care of the heart inside your body.

The importance of heart health awareness, education and funding that helps save lives every day is why the American Heart Association will benefit from Strack & Van Til’s first Checkout Challenge Round Up of the year from Feb. 2-15. Customers across the Region can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar when shopping at their local Strack & Van Til store with those extra funds donated to the American Heart Association.

According to the American Heart Association, fewer than 10% of cardiac arrest victims will survive. Also, fewer than 10% of the U.S. population is trained in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), which can more than double the chance of survival.

“Hands-only CPR is chest compression — CPR for adults and teens — and it has been shown to be equally effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response,” says Diane Kemp, executive director of the American Heart Association Northwest Indiana. “The two steps to save a life with Hands-only CPR are to call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives. If performed immediately, CPR can double or even triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival. We need residents across the Region to be the help until help arrives.”

“Know Your Numbers” is the Heart Association’s plea that everyone learns their key personal health numbers that help determine risk for heart disease. Those include total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index.

Kemp adds that awareness of cardiovascular disease is critical. “Everyone needs to know that it’s the No. 1 killer of women, with nearly 45% of women over age 20 living with some form of cardiovascular disease,” she notes. “Further, heart disease is the No. 1 killer of new moms as the leading cause of maternal mortality. Women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR and are less likely to survive an out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest. Only 38% of cardiovascular clinical research trial participants were women as of 2020.”

Many advancements have been made possible through American Heart Association funding, including stents, angioplasty, pacemakers, bypass surgery, heart valve replacements, implantable defibrillators and more.

Kemp says she’s grateful for the partnership with Strack & Van Til. “For more than 20 years, the Strack & Van Til Checkout Challenge Round Up has inspired customers to support the American Heart Association’s mission. These funds have helped us empower thousands of Northwest Indiana residents in learning the Chain of Survival. The community is immensely blessed by Strack & Van Til and their dedication to building a stronger Northwest Indiana.”

Strack & Van Til continues its more than 96-year tradition of philanthropy by raising funds through the Checkout Challenge Round Up program to help organizations in the communities it serves throughout Northwest Indiana.

Strack & Van Til President Jeff Strack credits customer generosity and employee commitment for the success of the Checkout Challenge Round Ups.

“We are incredibly grateful to our customers. They are the ones who give back to the community. Our stores, with the help of our employees, simply provide our customers with an outlet to give to some of their favorite local organizations,” he explains.

As the month unfolds, every small act of support contributes to a larger mission — one that strengthens families, neighborhoods and the health of the Region. By rounding up during Strack & Van Til’s Checkout Challenge Round Up, shoppers can help ensure the American Heart Association continues its lifesaving work for years to come.

For more information and to donate, visit heart.org. To learn more about Strack & Van Til’s community involvement, visit strackandvantil.com/community.