The Stanford Division of Vascular Surgery launched its first in-person SVS Foundation Vascular Health Step Challenge on Sept. 7, bringing together more than 100 participants to raise awareness for peripheral arterial disease (PAD) during PAD Awareness Month.
Jason Lee, MD, professor of surgery and division chief, assisted in the planning of the event that featured a 1.3-mile walk around Stanford’s campus. Participants collectively logged more than 250,000 steps in just 45 minutes and raised $3,000 for the Foundation’s event.
“We started this summer by trying to gather interest in it,” Lee said. “We realized the beginning of fall was a good time to bring our clinic staff, faculty and trainees together, which is how we were able to get 100 people to show up on a Sunday morning.”
The walk included faculty, fellows, residents, staff and families—many of whom brought children and their four-legged companions. “I was happy to contribute a quarter of a million steps to the Step Challenge,” Lee said. “It was all in the name of raising awareness for PAD.”
Due to the event’s success, the Stanford team is considering making Sunday walks a regular tradition. “It was so much fun, honestly,” he said. “We’re thinking about every Sunday morning moving forward—just getting some bagels and coffee and gathering the vascular team together for a walk.”
The SVS Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting vascular education and research, will utilize the fundraising efforts from the challenge to make critical research investments, such as the Vascular Care for the Underserved award.
“The Lee family has always been happy to support the SVS Foundation because of how much it has helped my career,” he said. “Now I want to support all the initiatives to help our medical students, trainees and young career faculty.”
Looking ahead, Lee said the team may expand the challenge. “In the upcoming years, we might turn it into a race or a run or a bike challenge,” he said.
