More than 400 participants walked, ran, and enjoyed live entertainment and healthy food during the 6th Annual Rob Millisor Heart Health Walk (RAM Walk) on September 25th at Carter Park in Breckenridge. The event is organized by Breckenridge Grand Vacations’ (BGV) philanthropic program, BGV Gives, in honor of late BGV owner/developer Rob Millisor, who passed away from a heart attack in 2015 while on a humanitarian trip in Nepal. This year’s RAM Walk has raised more than $149,000 of which $135,300 was direct support from 28 local and national sponsors. With partners like the Breckenridge Restaurant Association, the Town of Breckenridge’s Recreation Department and Red, White and Blue Fire Department, this event has really come to touch just about every local in some way or another which is displayed by the outpouring of volunteers that roll up their sleeves each year for the cause. An additional $8,750 of in-kind and trade support was received from six vendors. One hundred percent of every dollar is being contributed to The Rob Millisor Heart Health Fund at The Summit Foundation, a BGV community partner.

When the 6-year total for this event began approaching $1 million, the Dudick and Millisor families pledged the final $27,908 to hit this unprecedented landmark. When asked about this generous contribution, both Mike Dudick and Mike Millisor answered with, “It’s just the right thing to do for the community to create more awareness about heart health. We have seen first-hand at our own resorts how education and AED placement has saved lives!” Since its first edition in 2016, the RAM Walk has raised $1 million dollars to benefit local heart health and critical community programs in Summit and Park Counties.

Grants totaling more than $800,000 from the Heart Health Fund have supported free monthly heart health screening events by St. Anthony Summit Hospital; heart-healthy cooking classes at Colorado Mountain College; and Infant CPR Anytime kits for new local parents. Additional projects include Keystone Science School CATCH Afterschool Program, which promotes healthy physical activity and eating behaviors in children; AED units for many Summit County organizations and BGV’s resort properties; and a community-wide CPR/DEFIB education and AED placement program.

Environmental stewardship is also important at BGV. The company strives to eliminate as much waste going to our landfill as possible. At this year’s RAM Walk, of the 818 pounds of waste generated at the event; only 30 pounds was taken to the landfill and 788 pounds of various materials, the equivalent of three baby elephants at birth was recycled including glass, food, cardboard, paper, metal and plastic.

Donations to the RAM Walk and for heart health programs in Summit County can still be made online at https://www.bgvgives.org/heart-health-walk.