Before any critters could awaken from their nightly slumber, downtown Houston was already buzzing with energy at daybreak Saturday morning. Though there's an implied seriousness when raising awareness about heart health, American Heart Association's 2011 Houston Heart Walk took on a friendly, supportive tenor.

And a glorious day it was. A gentle, chilly breeze retreated as temperature rose just above 70 degrees, bringing out corporate teams, families, children and their pets in matching attire.

Among them were Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, which raised $137,000, FMC Technologies, bringing in $96,000 and Reliant Energy, contributing $57,000 with the help of 286 walkers.

Schlumberger exceeded both its recruitment goal of 350 and fundraising goal of $45,000, encouraging 439 members to pool efforts to donate over $56,000 to the cause.

According to the nonprofit, one person dies of cardiovascular disease every 38 seconds. That equates to 2,300 people each day. As the No. 1 killer in America, newborns to centenarians are affected. Chances are, each of the over 25,000 walk participants has been or knows someone who has been impacted by heart disease and stroke.

That includes Mayor Annise Parker, who comfortably made the 5-mile trek, from Sam Houston Park, down Allen Parkway to Kirby, and back.

"There are many charity walks in the city of Houston," Parker told CultureMap after arriving from kicking off the Hermann Park Run in the Park an hour earlier. "But this one is personal. My father died from heart disease at age 51. Today, I am older than he was when he passed. He was a marathon runner, but he smoked."

For Gracie Madrigal, the walk was a major milestone in her emotional and physical recovery after receiving a heart transplant in August. Accompanied hand-in-hand with her family, Madrigal's joie de vivre was beautifully contagious.

The walk raised $1.6 million, but AHA officials are confident that once last-minute donations are tallied, the fundraiser will have achieved its goal of $1.8 million.

The determined CultureMap squad made its way sprightly through the course, adding, when appropriate, background music to the tune of Rocky and Chariots of Fire, vowing to make healthier choices in the future.