African American Wellness Walk to raise awareness of inequities Saturday

The African American Wellness Walk returns for its 22nd year Saturday, Aug. 13 beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Presented by Premier Health, the event will be held at the University of Dayton – Curran Place, 1700 Patterson Blvd., Dayton.

According to Premier Health, last year’s event featured more than 1,700 participants across 44 states and six countries. The organization raised $60,000 to benefit local organizations working to address “the social determinants of health in our community,” as stated on the company’s website.

This year’s theme is “Join Our Stride.” Proceeds will go toward the on-site health clinics and students at Central State University and Wilberforce University who are pursuing health-related degrees.

“Across the nation and in our own backyard, we continue to see stories of inequitable treatment of African Americans,” Premier Health noted on its website. “The AAWW seeks to highlight these inequities, ranging from social justice to healthcare access, and raise awareness on how we can work together to combat them.”

In addition, Premier Health noted the pandemic has disproportionately impacted African Americans. Black Ohioans make up about 13% of the state’s population, yet account for larger percentages of COVID-19 cases (22.8%), hospitalizations (30.6%), and deaths (18.7%). Although Blacks are only 21.5% of the county population, they account for 35.5% of COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County. According to the Ohio Department of Health’s statistics from June 14, only 30.11% of Black Ohioans have now been fully vaccinated.

To register or for more information, visit runsignup.com/2022.

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