The 2025 Lubbock Heart Walk, the signature event of the American Heart Association, will return to the Texas Tech campus on Saturday with a new location, new goals and guidance from two dynamic university leaders.
Chris Cook, assistant professor of practice and assistant dean of enrollment management and marketing in the Texas Tech College of Media and Communication, and Dr. Scott Shurmur, a cardiologist and chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, are co-chairmen of the 2025 Lubbock Heart Walk, according to a news release. Cook also leads his own public relations firm, Chris Cook Communications, and is director of public relations for Primitive/AthletiQ Media.
The walk is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, at Fraizer Alumni Pavilion on Drive of Champions.
As a preventative cardiologist, Shurmur has devoted most of his professional life to the evolving science of preventing heart disease. When he moved to Lubbock for a job at Texas Tech a decade ago, he worked alongside the American Heart Association to eliminate existing exemptions that allowed indoor smoking in establishments such as bingo halls and pool halls.
His work has taken him to the forefront of new therapies to lower cholesterol and related lipid particles with the goal of reducing cardiovascular risk.
“This is a new time, and we are ready for the next step in cardiovascular prevention,” said Shurmur. “Much of the research to achieve the new frontier has been supported by the American Heart Association.”
Cook has similar motivations for serving as volunteer chairman. Congestive heart failure runs in Cook’s mother’s family.
“We all know someone who’s been affected directly and indirectly [by heart disease],” said Cook. “We’ve worried, shed tears and buried family and friends. Any level of involvement from volunteering to donating makes a difference.”
The year-round heart walk campaign raises funds to fight cardiovascular disease while equipping people with the knowledge and resources to act in the face of a cardiac emergency. Nine out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital don’t make it, yet immediate CPR can double or even triple the chances of survival. Cook and Shurmur are committed to ensuring that more people in Lubbock are prepared to respond effectively in these life-or-death situations.
This year, companies participating in the heart walk will play a crucial role in the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers initiative, a national effort aimed at doubling cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030. The goal is to have at least one trained, confident lifesaver in every home across Lubbock.
“The Heart Walk is where Lubbock shows up – not just to walk, but to stand together for something bigger than ourselves,” said Bailey Butler, new development director for the American Heart Association in Lubbock. “Every step taken, every dollar raised and every CPR skill learned brings us closer to a stronger, more connected, and heart-healthy community.”
The walk is a 5K that starts and ends at Frazier Pavilion. About 500 people are expected to participate, and organizers hope to raise $125,000.
Companies interested in participating or sponsoring the walk can contact Butler at [email protected]. To sign up as an individual or team, go to LubbockHeartWalk.org.
link