Santa and elves ran five kilometers to support a heart disease charity
People were running 5k on Sunday morningOver 2000 people dressed up as either Santa or elves ran around Cardiff Bay on Sunday morning to raise money for a charity.
The Cardiff Santa and Elf Dash organised by Welsh Hearts has been a way for thousands of people to exercise while contributing to a cause.
A regular runner, Sarah Vining said, “It felt really festive and lovely to see so many families dressed up as Santa clauses.”
“I usually do a five kilometer on the weekend and decided to do it as part on an event so I could encourage my little boy (aged 9) to run with me.”
Thousands of participants supported Welsh Hearts charityHeart disease is a major cause of death in Wales. Welsh Hearts is one of the lead charities in the country, and has been actively supporting the cause by organising events for the past four years.
“We hold heart screening sessions, so we can detect any heart abnormalities in younger people,” said Sharon Owen, the charity director.
As over one in seven men and approximately one in ten women die from cardiovascular illness according to the British Heart Foundation statistics, these sessions are preventing the risk of getting a heart disease.
The charity is working in schools and communities to ensure they all have the same access to facilities such as defibrillators, “the cause raises money for defibrillators and heart screening around Wales,” said Sharon Owen.
The British Heart Foundation reveals that 375 000 across Wales are living with a CVD and that 9,027 people died in 2015 from a CVD.
Therefore, the Welsh government published its latest heart conditions plan which aims mainly to provide a treatment and high-quality detection for all heart conditions.
The government recommends avoiding alcohol consumption or smoking as they increase the risk of contracting a heart disease. Other factors, such as living conditions, need to be taken into account as well.
Additionally, on 15 December, the charity is organising a concert called “Christmas on Broadway” at the City Hall in Cardiff to collect money.
If people would like to volunteer for the charity, they can come along as a medic, or help with events too, said the charity director.
It is also possible to donate online on their website, welshhearts.org
The “real” santa clause was on hand to talk to runners !