GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Dec. 2, 2006 forever changed the lives of the Pokorny family. Steve Pokorny, an assistant professor at the University of Florida, and his wife Joyce were getting ready to watch the SEC Championship game on TV when she had a heart attack in their living room. Steve administered CPR until the paramedics came. Joyce never regained consciousness and died on Dec. 23, 2006. She was only 43 years old.
Joyce had symptoms of heart disease, but didn’t associate them with a heart problem. She is not the only one. One in four American women will die of heart disease, which is the No. 1 killer of women in America.
On Monday, Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. UF students, faculty and staff with a Gator-1 ID can help women have healthy hearts by participating in the Joyce Pokorny Memorial Fund Volleyball Tournament on the sand volleyball courts at the Southwest Recreation Center on campus. Miss UF Michelle Schroeder will be there to kick off the event and door prizes will be awarded.
All participants must register before the event. The registration fee of $20 for a team of four or $5 per person includes a tournament T-shirt and snacks. Teams or individuals can register in the Florida Gym Room 200 or in Yon Hall 4B.