MEMPHIS, Tenn. —
With the life expectancy of Black men being significantly less than that of other races, the African American Male Wellness Agency held its walk to "Close the Gap" on Saturday.
Men and women from all over Memphis gathered at Fourth Bluff Park for the African American wellness agency’s second annual run here in Memphis.
The organization, co-chaired in part by Memphis' very own Penny Hardaway, provided free health screenings for all men.
“Health is wealth, you know, if you not feeling well and you can’t get out and about you really can’t accomplish much," Hardaway said.
According to the CDC and Shelby County Health Department data, the midsouth has some of the highest death rates from heart disease in the country. The African American Wellness Agency freely screened all male participants for heart disease, cholesterol and HIV.
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in Shelby County and new cases of HIV in the county are 3 times the state of Tennessee's rate.
“When people have early detection, they’re able to create a treatment plan that has a better outcome," attendee Sheryl Ray Reid said. "When people don’t find out, they don’t know, so they don’t create treatment plans."
Over 150 men participated in health screenings at Fourth Bluff Park Saturday.