Stellenbosch University (SU) collaboratively celebrated Heart Awareness Day in red, on Friday September 28.
In the week’s lead up, the Kinderkinetics students educated the children they were working with on heart health, and Maties Community Service had a week-long exercise intervention at Idasvalley Primary.
Dr Jo-Anne Kirby, the campaign coordinator from Campus Health Services, with post-grad physiology students, took the university mascots, Pokkel and Prof, to Idasvalley Primary, and finished off their week’s activities with an education session on heart health with all the school children.
The children also wore red in support of heart health. On campus, the Heart Stroke Foundation, South Africa joined US at the Rooiplein, where passerbyers had their vital signs checked, and could join a zumba class or watch a fencing demonstration.
The grand prize of the competition of a year’s membership at the Maties Gym was won by Deborah Tshonda and Roman Saayman, and the staff members who won an afternoon off, were Thania Narker and Hermien Nel.
The message is: Let us not forget to do what is BESST for our hearts (Blood pressure check, Exercise more, Stop Smoking, reduce salt and Tell others).