NONPROFIT

ALL HEART

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION SAVES LIVES THROUGH PREVENTION

BY CHRISTOPHER NAGY

For nearly a century, the American Heart Association has saved the lives of residents and bolstered community health by raising awareness and promoting prevention of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer worldwide, and stroke ranks second globally. The AHA has invested more than $4.5 billion in research into preventing the issues, and February marks biggest push to raise awareness as American Heart Month. Normally a month full of events and campaigns, this year American Heart Month will be a bit different for the AHA due to the continued concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

“In Lansing, we’ve done events with lawmakers at the Capitol in the past, but everything is so tentative this year. It’s really a matter of trying to feel out where a lot of these companies are right now and how comfortable they are right now,” said Cindy Bouma, the American Heart Association’s communications director for outstate Michigan, which includes the Greater Lansing region’s AHA office in Okemos.

“Probably the most active right now would be out in the schools,” she added. “A lot of them will have the Kids Heart Challenge jump-roping event going on, but we know a lot of them aren’t in-person right now, so we’re trying to juggle what that will look like.”

One way individuals can bring attention to the dangers and risks of heart disease and stroke is to sport red Feb. 5 for National Wear Red Day.

“We also have some virtual events taking place statewide and some school events, so there will still be ways people can get involved,” Bouma said. “There will be some silent auctions taking place, they can wear red on National Wear Red Day, they can do a benefit for the American Heart Association with their staff.”

While the AHA’s overarching message focuses on heart health, Bouma noted that many residents are likely unaware of the depth of the issues the organization addresses.

“We are concerned about diabetes and the role it plays in heart disease. We’re concerned about hypertension. We’re concerned about cholesterol, physical activity. A lot of people are really surprised at how much the American Heart Association is involved in the health of Michigan residents,” she said.

Overall, the public is extremely open to the message of the AHA, which is viewed as a reliable organization due to the wealth of scientific research that backs its mission.

“I think trust in the AHA starts there. We learn to pivot, and we’re perfectly placed to turn on a dime for something like COVID, which will have long-lasting effects on heart disease. We don’t know the effects on the lungs, but it certainly seems like it’s going in that direction,” she said. “There’s so much still to learn, but between our science community and our experts and our volunteers we have throughout all of our communities in the area, we can really bring a lot of people together and work on large issues.”

The Greater Lansing office of the American Heart Association is at 2469 Woodlake Circle, Suite 100, in Okemos. For more information, call (517) 319-1050 or visit heart.org.

COMING INTO

FOCUS

OKEMOS GRANDMOTHER FINDS NEW LOVE IN PANDEMIC THROUGH NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

BY CHRISTOPHER NAGY

DENISE MCGINN CREATED A BOOK OF HER NATURE PHOTOS FOR HER GRANDCHILDREN AS A CHRISTMAS GIFT.

From an outsider’s perspective, it can be difficult at times to fully see the motivation pumping the artistic heart. “Sometimes if I was drinking coffee in the morning and saw him, I would run outside in my pajamas. My neighbors probably think I’m crazy,” said Denise McGinn. “I’m out there in my pajamas running through the yard or sneaking stealthily behind the pine tree trying to get as close as I can without him seeing me.”

The “him” in question is an elusive blue heron patrolling the banks of the Red Cedar River, whose waters cut through the backyard of McGinn’s Okemos home. The grandmother of four first spotted the heron when she moved into the residence about two years ago, as the graceful beast took flight over the riverbed.

Getting a picture of the bird had been a pursuit of McGinn’s since she took up nature photography to fill her time during the pandemic; however, she became so skilled at the new hobby that she compiled 175 of her best works into a book for her grandchildren at Christmas called “Grandma Denise’s Yard.”

“We live on the Red Cedar River, and we get a ton of animals and birds that come by. I thought it would be fun to get some good photos of them,” McGinn said. “When COVID hit, I had all this free time on my hands. Normally we would rent a house in Grand Haven and spend a week there with our kids and grandkids. I’d saved up all year for my part of that trip, and I had this extra money when we had to cancel because of COVID.”

After purchasing a Canon Rebel EOS T7, getting some tips and tricks from friends and acquaintances, and buying a new lens for the camera, McGinn honed her skills on her latest artistic avenue primarily in the backyard of her home.

“Then people started asking me what I was going to do with all these pictures; I think I have about 3,000 now,” McGinn said. “My oldest grandson, who is 14 and follows me on Instagram, started commenting on my pictures quite a bit and how much he likes them. I started wondering if he would like a book of them. Then I decided, ‘OK, all the grandkids are going to get the book.’ I started keeping track of what varieties I was getting. I joined Facebook group called Birding Michigan because I was having trouble IDing some of them even though I have a birding app on my phone.”

She said photography has become a bit of an obsession for her now. As a quilter, she always had a creative side, and this new hobby tapped into that vein perfectly. Now she’s focused on fine-tuning her skills even further by paying closer attention to background, colors and framing.

“I think I’m also one of those lifelong learners who are always trying to learn something new,” she said. “This was something I

DENISE MCGINN TOOK UP A NEW PANDEMIC HOBBY PHOTOGRAPHING NATURE IN HER OKEMOS BACKYARD.

knew nothing about and thought I could probably get good at. The learning process has been good for me as well. I think for me it was a good distraction. Obviously, we haven’t been able to see family. We haven’t been able to spend time with kids and grandkids. All our trips have been canceled. All the things you used to do are gone. So I had all this extra time on my hands.”

Her next evolutionary step has brought her indoors, where McGinn has been trying her hand at still photos and playing with backdrops and lighting. Yet nature will likely always pull her back outside.

“There are certain things out there that I haven’t been able to photograph. I need a skunk. I need an owl picture. And I believe we have coyotes in the woods next to us,” McGinn said. “There are some bucket-list items that I’d like to get. That’s part of the fun. I never really know what I’m going to see. It’s always a surprise.”

And what about that cagey blue heron that helped launch this adventure? You probably already guessed the answer.

“When I got the camera, it became one my goals: to get that blue heron shot of him flying down the riverbed. Is it ever going to happen again or was it a once-in-a-lifetime thing?” McGinn said. “The heron is really skittish, and I spent months trying to get that shot. I finally did get two great pictures.

“I like a good challenge,” she added.

All the things you used to do are gone. So I had all this extra time

on my hands. ~ Denise McGinn

Refinance Your Mortgage

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REASONS TO PLAY p.40 OUT & ABOUT p.42

LET IT SNOW

While we’re not quite through the novel coronavirus pandemic, the snowy season does give us opportunities to get out and do something fun with members of our households — like sledding. From the sled hill at Hawk Island Park in Lansing to cross-country skiing at Burchfield Park in Holt or snowshoeing through Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg, there are plenty of places for fun in the snow throughout the region.