BRECKENRIDGE — More than 700 people walked, jogged or ran the fourth annual Rob Millisor Heart Health Walk on June 8, making the fundraising event one of the most successful in its short history.
Organizers are reporting this year’s walk at Carter Park in Breckenridge raised more than $175,000, $150,000 of which came in the form of cash and in-kind support from a record 46 sponsors. All proceeds will go into the Rob Millisor Heart Health Fund at The Summit Foundation.
The walk was created in honor of Millisor, the former owner and developer at Breckenridge Grand Vacations, who died of a heart attack during a humanitarian mission in Nepal in 2015.
For Deb Edwards — the program manger of Breckenridge Grand Vacations’ philanthropic wing, BGV Gives — it was simply amazing to see such an outpouring of love and support for Millisor.
“I knew Rob for 30 years, how much he meant to this community, and he continues to be a part of our community,” Edwards said as she broke into tears. “Rob was all about helping others, and even in our loss, he continues to show us how important it is to help others in our community.”
This year’s fundraising total is the second most after the first walk in 2016. The walks have raised more than $706,000 combined for local heart health programs, and grants from the Heart Health Fund have supported free monthly screening events at St. Anthony Summit Medical Center.
The money from the walks also has paid for heart-healthy cooking classes at Colorado Mountain College, Infant CPR Anytime kits for new parents in the area and the Keystone Science School’s CATCH after-school program, which promotes physical activity and healthy eating behaviors in children.
Beyond that, the fund has bought automated external defibrillators for the Summit Community Care Dental Clinic and Breckenridge Grand Vacations’ resort properties, and supported a communitywide CPR and defibrillator education program.
Donations for the walk and heart health programs in Summit County still can be made at BGVGives.org/heart-health-walk.
