MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) – The Miss New Hampshire organization has been banned from walking as a team in the annual American Heart Association Heart Walk because of its ties to a tobacco company.
“The American Heart Association has a national policy that prohibits us from working with organizations that accept funds from the tobacco industry,” said Deborah Hornor, AHA regional vice president.
AHA officials said that participants from the Miss New Hampshire organization can’t march under the Miss New Hampshire banner during the walk, but they can still walk as individuals.
The Miss New Hampshire organization has already donated $1,300 to the walk. The AHA said that if the walkers are not interested in participating as individuals, there will be arrangements made to return the money.
Miss New Hampshire Emily Hughes travels to schools to talk to children about the dangers of smoking. But Dover Middle School recently withdrew its invitation to her once it was discovered that the anti-smoking program was funded by tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds.
“It’s too bad for them and too bad for us, but that’s what this country is all about – your ability to have two opinions and act on them,” said Bob Oxford, executive director of Miss New Hampshire. “They acted on theirs, and we acted on ours.”
Oxford said that the organization has been walking as a group for six years and has raised about $15,000 for the AHA.
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