Providence Health hosted it’s third annual yard sale to raise funds and awareness for the American Heart Association’s Midlands Heart Walk.

Stephanie Bilovsky, interim director of communications and marketing for Providence Health, said the hospital’s community yard sale raises money for a good cause – prevention of heart disease.

Local Midlands residents shop at the Providence Health community yard sale to raise money for the Midlands Heart Walk.

Nurse Technician Gregory Pettigrew bought a souvenir for himself at the Providence Health Yard Sale.

Heart disease is something that weights heavily on Stephanie Bilovsky’s thoughts.

“My Mom had bypass (surgery) last year and my father had a stent,” Bilovsky said.

Bilovsky now works at Providence Health in public relations and on a recent Friday she was folding clothes and arranging tables for the annual Providence Health Yard Sale which raises funds for the Midlands Heart Walk. The yard sale on March 9  was the third annual event the hospital has hosted.

Bilovsky said heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States,  “and South Carolina especially has a strong problem with heart disease and diabetes.” According to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, heart disease was the 2nd leading cause of death in South Carolina for 2016. The department said 10,183 South Carolinians died from heart disease that year.

“The American Heart Association Midlands Walk is a wonderful, visible event in the community,” Bilovsky said. “People are gathering funds to educate the community and doing the walk. They’re living, you know, walking the talk.”

“Last year we raised about $800 (at the community yard sale) with this hospital alone,” on the downtown campus.  “The previous year we raised about $1,000,” she said. Bilovsky expected this year’s proceeds to be about $700.

“Everyone knows someone who’s affected by a heart disease,” Bolivsky said. “It’s hard to walk these walls and to not feel a connection to the heart movement.” Bilvosky said that it’s great to see people who have a giving heart.

The Midlands Heart Walk will take place on March 24 at Colonial Life Arena starting at 9:30 a.m. The American Heart Association has set a goal of raising $650,000 to fund research and education. If you would like to learn more or join in on the cause you can visit www2.heart.org.