Thousands of Oncor employees and family members from across our service territory participated in the Dallas Heart Walk on Saturday, marking a continuation of the company’s longtime support of the American Heart Association (AHA).

Oncor led all DFW-area companies in fundraising for this year’s Heart Walk, with our platform sponsorship, employees, suppliers, and partners donating nearly $930,000 this year. Since 2012, Team Oncor has donated more than $10 million to the AHA.

“The Dallas Heart Walk has truly become a part of Oncor’s fabric,” said Angela Guillory, Senior Vice President of Human Resources and Corporate Affairs. “It’s a special day that brings Oncor employees together to celebrate Living Well and support the American Heart Association’s work to save lives and raise awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health. We look forward to participating in the Dallas Heart Walk again next year and in the many years to come.”

The Heart Walk is the AHA’s premier event to raise money to fight heart disease and stroke, which are the respective No. 1 and No. 5 causes of death in the U.S. The Heart Walk is also an opportunity to honor survivors and remember those we have lost to these all-too-prevalent conditions.

Loss Hits Home

An Oncor family is among those who have recently experienced such a devastating loss. Christopher Richardson, a distribution material specialist based in the Farmer’s Branch Service Center, lost his adopted daughter, Zaniah, to heart failure this year. Christopher described Zaniah as a “fun, goofy girl” who had wide-ranging interests, from karate to basketball to cheerleading.

During a routine physical needed for Zaniah to play middle-school sports, doctors discovered she had a severe, genetic heart condition, which led to Zaniah facing difficult health challenges for the rest of her life. This past March, Zaniah passed away after lying down in her bed, merely hours after being photographed for her learner’s driving permit.

“She was a very strong person,” Christopher said. “Watching a kid go through all that and still be happy and have a good spirit, smile and not let it bring you down… I looked up to her for that.”

Michael Richardson, Christopher’s father and Zaniah’s grandfather, is also an Oncor employee. A distribution material specialist based in the Fort Worth North Service Center, Michael participated in this year’s Heart Walk to honor Zaniah, who herself participated in the two years prior. Michael said Zaniah was “a very beautiful soul” – a vibrant, outgoing person who was set to graduate high school next year. 

“Cherish life. Enjoy your life. Because you never can tell when you may not have that life anymore,” Michael said. “Zaniah was a person who loved people; she loved animals, and she just enjoyed life to the fullest. And we thank God for sharing her with us in the short time that we had her.”

Christopher encouraged other parents experiencing similar challenges to be there for their children as much as possible.

“It’s a lot for a child to have to deal with this,” Christopher said. “Just try to let them know that just because they are in this situation, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with them.”

What You Can Do

While deaths from cardiovascular diseases have fallen since the American Heart Association was founded in 1924, there is still work to be done. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one person in the U.S. dies from heart disease every 34 seconds. In 2022, about 1 out of every 6 U.S. deaths from heart disease was due to stroke.

You can limit your own risk for heart disease and stroke by:

·       Eating a healthy diet;

·       Exercising regularly;

·       Avoiding smoking and secondhand smoke;

·       Getting regular wellness checkups;

·       Understanding your family’s heart health history;

·       and more.

Save the Date: Next year’s Dallas Heart Walk will take place Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, at Levy Event Plaza in Irving.