Columbia Mayor Leads Walk to Help Fight Heart Disease

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) _ Columbia’s mayor is taking part in a walk to help fight against heart disease.

Mayor Steve Benjamin is hosting the first annual Move with the Mayor Challenge walk Wednesday. The one-mile walk begins at City Hall and ends at the Statehouse.

The event is in partnership with the National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention. It’s part of a campaign to encourage people to walk every Wednesday, starting this week, until World Heart Day on Sept. 29.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Research shows walking as little as 30 minutes a day can cut the risk of heart disease by 40 percent.