Three Hyde Park residents get to the heart of the matter

By Robin Gee

February is Heart Month, and the American Heart Association (AHA) takes the opportunity to build awareness, promote education and understanding and raise funds for research. Locally, the organization sponsors several events in February and throughout the entire year. 

We spoke with three Hyde Park residents who have opened their hearts to share their own experiences and why getting involved is so important. They have all been touched by the disease in different ways, and all have taken a leading role in promoting awareness and helping to raise much -needed money for research and education.

The family of Bob and Maureen Habel — Heart of the City Award recipients

The Habel family is a large and well-known Hyde Park family. They will be honored with the Heart of the City Award, presented at the upcoming Heart Ball. The award is given to non-medical professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the community. 

An architect who started his own firm, Bob Habel moved to the area in the 1950s with his wife Maureen and raised seven kids in their home on Observatory. Maureen passed away in 2020. Bob, who is 92 now, still lives in town. 

Chris Habel, partner in charge at Frost Brown Todd, is one of Bob’s sons. He shared a photo of the large Habel clan. By last count, in addition to Bob’s seven children and their spouses, he has 22 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and more on the way, he said.

“My dad had bypass surgery when he was 59 years old. It was successful and let him live to see most of the people in that picture who didn’t exist yet. He also had a stroke in 2019…So for both of those, it was the AHA and the Stroke Association…the research they funded basically saved his life and allowed him to enjoy a lot more years… So, this is our why,” he said.

Having a loved one who benefitted from the ongoing research funded through the AHA is one thing, he said, but there are many reasons to support the work.

“Heart disease is still the number one killer by far, and stroke is the number one disabler by far. This is not to say that other ailments are not equally important and significant. But pretty much everybody knows somebody who has had a heart issue or stroke or who has passed away from one or both. So, to me, it’s pretty simple…You’re going to make the biggest impact with your support and your dollars there.”

The 2025 Greater Cincinnati Heart Ball will be held on Saturday, March 1 from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Sharonville Convention Center. For information, see the American Heart Association website at heart.org or contact AmyDroege@heart.org or 513-479-9424.

Jody Kalmbach —Heart Mini Marathon chair

Jody Kalmbach is the group vice president in product experience at Kroger. Her move to Cincinnati and to Hyde Park in particular was a career move for her job. Kroger has long been a supporter of the American Heart Association, and it’s a company-wide focus. 

An incident that happened right at the start of the pandemic drove home the importance of that support on a very personal level.

“It was actually the weekend we were all getting the news about the pandemic and the world was basically about to shut down. My husband, who was 50 years old at the time, had a cardiac arrest,” she explained.

“He was actually at the Cincinnati Sports Club at the time, and we were incredibly lucky…he was with friends who had, not only the skills, but also the courage to perform CPR on him. They performed CPR and AED was used, and that honestly saved his life. He then, of course, got to the hospital and ended up having bypass surgery, and he’s doing really well today.”

The incident inspired her to want to get more involved and to influence others to do the same.

“The education that the American Heart Association has driven, whether it’s around CPR training or AED availability — that is what put us in a situation that he’s now here today, living a full life. And the stats…For cardiac arrests that are occur outside of a hospital, nine out of 10 people do not survive. And so to be in that 10% that actually survive, we just are incredibly grateful.”

Kalmbach got involved in the Heart Mini Marathon, and this year she is chair of the event.

“What I’m super excited about is the whole mission for this year is around enhancing CPR training accessibility, making sure everyone feels confident actually performing CPR…bolstering bystander preparedness, and then also increasing funding for vital research,” she said. 

Although the event features a half marathon, there are several other opportunities that day, including a 5K heart race, 1K Steps for Stroke, 1.5K kids race and a 5K heart walk. 

The 2025 Cincinnati Heart Mini Marathon & Walk takes place on Sunday, March 16, staring at 7:30 a.m. Participants meet and begin at the corner of Fifth and Lawrence streets in downtown Cincinnati (near the Proctor and Gamble Plaza). 

For more information, see the American Heart Association website, email heartmini@heart.org or call 513-699-4237.

Paul Jenny — CycleNation chair

Paul Jenny is senior vice president and chief financial officer at Children’s Hospital. He is very proud of the research the hospital has done that directly benefits patients and increases our understanding of heart disease and conditions in all ages.

“Certainly the relationship between the Heart Association and Children’s is really tight and really fantastic. Through the collective of their fundraising efforts, we receive several million dollars a year from the Heart Institute to do research in the cardiology space,” he said.

Jenny was asked to chair the CycleNation event this year, and it was a perfect fit, he said.

“I’m a cyclist by hobby, and certainly living in Hyde Park, I have access to cycle Wasson Way and then down into the park and over into Little Miami trail. I was happy moving here about four years ago to find out what a strong cycling community it is. So I think the Heart Association heard a rumor that I liked cycling, and obviously in working at Children’s, they put two and two together. And I’m thrilled to be asked.”

CycleNation started 10 years ago but it is the newest event in the local American Heart Association’s roster, said Rachel McCarthy, vice president of development.  

“Many people might know the Heart Mini. It’s almost 50 years old, but…there wasn’t really a big campaign that was super focused on the stroke side of our work…So CycleNation came to be. From a preventative measure standpoint, cycling is about getting and being active. But then cycling is also great for stroke survivors in their rehab,” McCarthy said.

Each year in the fall, they set up 75 stationary bikes to Fountain Square. Teams of riders each get one bike and can decide how long each of their team members will cycle. A team can have up to eight members and can divide the two-hour cycle however they choose. 

“When we think of heart disease and cardiological problems, we often don’t pay attention to strokes, which are a critical component…Cardiac exercise is a good preventative. Whether you’re on a stationary bike or getting to bicycle in Hyde Park on Wasson Way, it’s just a fun way to get healthy, stay healthy while enjoying the beautiful community that we live in,” Jenny added.

The date for the 2025 CycleNation event has not yet been set but it happens in October. Cyclists gather on Fountain Square Downtown on Fifth and Vine. For more information, see the American Heart Association website (heart.org) or call 513-699-4237.

Top: L to R Chris Habel, Jody Kalmbach, Paul Jenny. Photo provided by Ross Van Pelt/RVP Photography. Jody Kalmbach, chair of the Heart Mini Marathon, and her husband Chris. Photo provided. Colleen Lindholz, president of Kroger Health and her sister Lisa Haubner at the Heart Mini Marathon in downtown Cincinnati. Photo provided.

Bottom: L to R Cyclists from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center compete in CycleNation 2024 on Fountain Square. Photo provided. The Greater Cincinnati Board of the AHA at the 2024 Heart Ball. Photo provided. Runners line up for the Cincinnati Heart Mini Marathon & Walk to benefit the work done by the American Heart Association. Photo provided