Spring's LSC-University Park hosts Heart Walk Oct. 17

Lone Star College-University Park will host the American Heart Association's Northwest Harris County Heart Walk on Saturday, Oct. 17. It is the campus's 11th consecutive year hosting the event.

The free, all-ages walk has a $200,000 fundraising goal for heart disease research and awareness, according to the college. The expo begins at 8 a.m. with face painting, a Kids' Corner game section, CPR demonstrations and costume contests for children and pets. The three-mile walk starts at 9 a.m. and the event wraps up at 11 a.m.

The route begins and ends at the campus's Energy and Manufacturing Institute (EMI) Building, at 11521 Compaq Center W Dr., Houston, TX 77070. Streets along the route will be closed that morning. Organizers ask participants to arrive early to ease traffic congestion.

Parking is free in Garage 9. Drivers should enter from Louetta Road, turn south onto Compaq Center West Drive and follow signs.

The Klein Oak High School Air Force JROTC Color Guard will present colors during the opening ceremony.

For LSC-University Park President Matthew Dempsey, the walk carries personal weight. His father, Dave Dempsey, survived a heart attack in 2018 because bystanders trained in CPR kept him alive until medical help arrived.

"Research and medicine have since given our family more years with him, and every step honors those efforts and my gratitude that my dad is still with us," Dempsey said in an Oct. 2 statement, as reported by Woodlands Online.

Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 22% of all deaths in 2024, according to CDC data compiled by USAFacts.

The event is rain or shine. Families and pets are welcome. Registration is open at www.LoneStar.edu/UP-HeartWalk.

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