Electric Co-Ops raise awareness for heart disease

Twenty cyclists will make their way across South Carolina, setting out Monday from the Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative in Pickens, in a seven-day, 648-mile ride to build awareness for heart disease and offer screenings to more than 2,000 electric cooperative employees.  They plan to finish their ride Tuesday, November 2 in the Low Country.  The “Ride Across South Carolina” was established in memory of Brian Kelley, former president of Pee Dee Electric Cooperative.  His heart attack death in 2017 was untimely and resulted from undetected heart disease. The ride is also dedicated to allow cooperative workers who’ve been impacted by heart disease or stroke to build awareness and offer preventive education for all.  According to the American Heart Association, South Carolina has the 14th highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the U-S.