News
Tuesday, January 31, 2017—February is American Heart Month and the American Heart Association and Womble Carlyle are proud to recognize Davlyn Davis, Darryl Gordon, Keshia Horn and Rev. Konnie Robinson as finalists for the 2017 Healthy Heart Champions award.
Healthy Heart Champions are Forsyth County residents who have taken significant steps to improve their health and reduce the risks of heart disease. As the faces of heart health in Forsyth County, the Healthy Heart Champions remind us all that we can take steps toward improved heart health.
The 2017 Health Heart Champions finalists are:
- Davlyn Davis—Davis, a long-time Womble Carlyle employee, was only 30 when he first experienced heart disease, and has battled high cholesterol and high blood pressure. But through weight loss and lifestyle changes, he has made significant progress in improving his health.
- Darryl Gordon—Gordon has been a champion for improved heart health through physical activity. A P.E. teacher at Konnoak Elementary School, he leads an after-school dance program for students and coaches youth soccer and basketball. He also leads fitness classes at his church.
- Keshia Horn—Keshia never saw herself as an athlete. But through the encouragement of friends, she started an exercise program and learned she was an athlete herself. Keshia lost more than 100 pounds. Recently, she successfully completed a 70.3 mile half ironman race—something she never envisioned being able to do just a few short years ago.
- Rev. Konnie Robinson—Konnie, the pastor of Union Chapel Baptist Church, works to help his congregation lead healthier lives. He led several church members in participating in Winston-Salem State University’s HOSEA Project, a six-month diabetes prevention program. He personally has lost more than 30 pounds through better nutrition, exercise and education, and he has promoted a heart health/weight loss program throughout the church.
“Congratulations to Davlyn, Darryl, Keshia and Konnie! They are living proof that small steps can go a long way toward improved heart health,” said Bill Whitehurst, Managing Partner of Womble Carlyle’s Winston-Salem office and Chair of the 2016-2017 Winston-Salem Heart Ball.
All of the 2017 Healthy Heart Champions finalists will be recognized and the winner will be announced at the Winston-Salem Heart Ball, which takes place Friday, April 28th at the Millennium Center.
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of both men and women in the United States. Stroke is the 5th leading cause of death in the nation and the leading cause of permanent disability. In Forsyth County, heart disease is the second leading cause of death and stroke the fourth leading cause of death. The good news – heart disease and stroke are up to 80% preventable by knowing your numbers, monitoring your risk factors and making heart-healthy lifestyle changes such as improved nutritional choices and increased physical activity.
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join us, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any of our offices around the country, or visit www.heart.org.
About Womble Carlyle
Womble Carlyle is a 550-attorney law firm that corporate clients rely on to provide core legal services, such as Complex Business Litigation, Mass Torts, Intellectual Property, Corporate & Securities, Finance and Real Estate.
Our focus is the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic and Silicon Valley markets, and from this footprint, we serve clients in matters across the country and across the world. Clients trust us because we understand their businesses, focus on their successes, demonstrate a commitment to help, and deliver value for their dollars they spend on us.
Womble Carlyle has a transatlantic alliance with leading U.K. firm Bond Dickinson to provide clients with domestic legal, regulatory and business advice in both the U.S. and U.K. Thanks to Womble Carlyle’s partnership with Lex Mundi, the world’s largest association of independent law firms, we also can offer clients access to quality-tested local counsel in more than 120 countries. Lex Mundi provides seamless access to local attorneys and market knowledge throughout the globe.
Womble Carlyle’s offices are located in: Atlanta; Charleston, Columbia and Greenville, S.C.; Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, and Winston-Salem, N.C.; Silicon Valley, Calif., Washington, D.C.; Charlottesville and Tysons Corner, Va.; Baltimore; and Wilmington, Del.
