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There are two special events happening this Saturday. One is her 50th anniversary of America’s Greatest Heart Run & Walk, and the other is Ilion resident Tyriana Bernier’s 5th birthday.

These two events are connected by a life-saving thread.

Tiliana, who was born with a hole in her heart and a heart murmur, is celebrating her birthday thanks to advances in heart care for children funded by events such as Heart Run.

“The doctors wanted to wait for surgery,” his mother, Felicia Jimenez, said in a statement about this weekend’s event. “But her left ventricle started pumping too much blood and it ended up going into her lungs. They thought it was time to operate.”

Tiliana underwent open heart surgery in Albany over the summer and is now recovering well.

“She said she couldn’t hear the ‘little heart beeps’ anymore,” Jimenez said.

When is America’s Largest Heart Run & Walk?

This year, Tyriana, who lives with her father, John Bernier Jr., and sister, Riley, will serve as one of the Red Cap ambassadors for the event. Her birthday will be celebrated on stage at the closing ceremony.

The Healthy for Good Expo will be held Friday at Utica University’s Clark Athletic Center from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The 18-mile heart run begins Saturday at 7 a.m. in Barneveld.

Participants will board a shuttle bus from the university to the starting point at 6:30 a.m.

The 3-mile run will begin at the university at 9 a.m., with opening remarks at 9:30 a.m., followed by the 3-mile walk at 10 a.m. Closing ceremonies begin at 11:30 a.m.

This is also the 100th anniversary of the founding of the American Heart Association.

heart disease survivor

Tiriana will share Red Cap Ambassador duties with Utica running icon Jim Stasaitis.

Stasaitis, 71, has been a Heart Run volunteer for 37 years (18 of those years as course director), is president of the Utica Road Runners, race director of the Boilermaker Road Race, and is a heart disease survivor.

“Little did I know that all of the people who contributed to America’s Greatest Heart Run and Walk would one day save my life,” Stasaitis said.

Despite years of volunteering at HeartRun, Stasaitis did not respond to the first symptoms of heart disease. The week before Labor Day 2015, he was mowing his lawn when he felt a “grabbing” sensation on the right side of his chest, but thought it was just a muscle strain.

A week later, the same thing happened while mowing, but this time I had discomfort in my jaw. He planned to continue his trip to Florida and tell his doctor about the pain at his appointment the following week.

“Having been involved with the Heart Association for over 30 years, I would have gone to the hospital right away,” Stasaitis said. “But I was in semi-decent shape, so a macho male voice in my head said, ‘Hey, this can’t happen to me.'”

But when his symptoms returned in Florida, Stasaitis and his wife returned home early and went to the local emergency room. Doctors discovered through cardiac catheterization that 99% of his left anterior descending artery was blocked, so they removed the blockage and inserted a stent.

Stasaitis suffered a mild heart attack during the surgery.

“The procedures and new drugs I used are a direct result of research funded by the American Heart Association,” Stasaitis said. “The funds raised over the years through America’s Greatest Heart Run and Walk saved my life.”

Heart Run parking is available at Utica College’s Lots A, B, and C and Mohawk Valley Health System’s St. Luke’s Campus.

road closure

Road closures in the areas during Heart Run are as follows:

  • Route 365: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Closed to eastbound traffic between Mapledale Road.and Barneveld
  • Route 365: Closed to eastbound traffic between Route 291 and Mapledale Road from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
  • Route 291: Closed to northbound traffic between Route 69 (Oriskany Boulevard in Whitesboro) and Route 365 from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Whitesboro Main Street: Closed to westbound traffic from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.;
  • Mohawk Street, Whitestown, Marcy: 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Closed to all traffic except local traffic between River Road in Marcy and Main Street in Whitesboro.
  • Main Street, New York Mills, Yorkville: 8:30 a.m. to noon. The area is closed between Burstone Road and Oriskany Boulevard.
  • Burrstone Road: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed between Old Burrstone Road and Main Street, New York Mills.
  • Champlin Avenue: 8 a.m. to noon. The area is closed between Burstone Road and Graham Avenue.
  • Clinton Street, New York Mills: 8:30 a.m. to noon. The area is closed between Henderson Street and Burstone Road.
  • Elm Street, Yonge Avenue, Fairway Drive, Winchester Drive, Pulaski Street, New York Mills. and Cross Street in Yorkville: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Winchester only closed at Burstone, fairways closed at Yonge, Cross fairways open until Yonge.
  • Yorkville Corner of Oriskany Boulevard and Main Street: From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Significant traffic delays will occur for eastbound and westbound traffic on Oriskany. Traffic routes will be changed during the event.
  • Champlin Avenue: 8 a.m. to noon. Traffic heading to the St. Luke’s campus must enter from north on Champlin Avenue.
  • Business Park Drive and Washington Drive: 9:30 a.m. to noon.All traffic restrictions will be in place from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • French Road ramp off Route 12 Highway, north and southbound: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Closed.

alternative route

Here’s how to get to some famous places in the city during the Heart Run.

  • Mohawk Valley Health System’s St. Luke’s Campus: Approached from Yorkville, north of Champlin Avenue. Showings on Graham Avenue will give you access to the Champlin Avenue entrance.
  • Slocum Dixon Medical Center: Exit the North South Highway at Lomond Place onto French Road and arrive at the center’s French Road entrance.
  • Notre Dame High School and Notre Dame Lane: Exit the north-south highway at Lomond Place, turn onto French Road, and turn onto Business Park Drive.

For more information about the Heart Run, visit UticaHeartRunWalk.org.

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