A Greenville man will be the honoree for the very first Heart Walk in Greenville.

Richard S. Houpt is the honoree for the walk which is sponsored by the American Heart Association, UPMC Horizon and Thiel College, Greenville.

Houpt is the former associate dean of academic affairs at Thiel and former Greenville council president. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery in September 1999 at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh.

Houpt said doctors recommended the surgery after he suffered from congestion in his chest and shortness of breath, and a catheterization showed blockage to his heart.

"As far as the heart is concerned, I do get angina pain, and I've had to go to the hospital, and they take care of it very quickly," Houpt said.

Doctors also diagnosed Houpt with congestive heart failure, which he said is being controlled with medication. Houpt said he tires easily and doesn't have as much endurance as he'd like.