Every year the Orono boys hockey team chooses a foundation to support with their annual fundraiser. This year, the fundraising board has decided to dedicate the fundraiser to heart health awareness in loving memory of Kim Ylitalo.

Ylitalo, a hockey mom of four, spent countless hours serving on the hockey board, chairing committees, and supporting the team with fundraisers. Tragically while supporting everyone else, Ylitalo was suffering with heart disease. On May 26, the Orono community lost a very special woman.

On Jan. 7, the Orono boys hockey team will be taking on the Delano boys  hockey team at the Orono Ice Arena. The game will be filled with Ylitalo family members from Orono and Delano combined. At the game, the fundraising team will be selling shirts that say “I [heart] Hockey.”

All proceeds from the shirt sales and any donations collected will be donated to the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation where Ylitalo volunteered.

“The ‘I Heart Hockey’ fundraiser is to remember Kim Ylitalo for the outstanding hockey mom she was, and for all the outstanding work she has done for the Orono Hockey team as well as raising heart health awareness” chairperson Sarah Wilson said.

Ylitalo worked with the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation whose mission is to “promote and improve cardiovascular health, quality of life and longevity for all.”

According to The Mayo Clinic, heart disease is categorized as “a broad term used to describe a range of diseases that affect your heart. The various diseases that fall under the umbrella of heart disease include diseases of your blood vessels, such as coronary artery disease; heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); heart infections; and heart defects you’re born with (congenital heart defects).”

Heart disease is the number one cause of mortality worldwide making up 40 percent of the total deaths in the United States (Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation), yet many people don’t know the basic preventative measures against heart disease.

Preventative measures that are in everyone’s control are first avoiding tobacco usage. The average amount of deaths caused by tobacco per year are about 443,000 according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Another important thing to incorporate into everyday life is getting 30 minutes of exercise each day. By taking that time to go on a walk or go to a yoga class, the chances of getting heart disease are cut in half, according to the Minneapolis Heart Institute.

Managing weight is another important aspect to decrease the chances of heart disease. The Mayo Clinic stresses the importance of exercise, “regular exercise and physical activity is the path to health and well-being.”

Finally, focusing on blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol is the last suggestion of how to decrease the chances of heart disease.

By making these simple changes in daily life the chances of getting heart disease can be cut in half.

Don’t forget to come to the boy’s hockey game on Jan. 7 at 7:00 p.m. to show your support for this special event.