UTICA — Hundreds of healthy-heart supporters will fill Utica College's Clark Athletic Center today for the annual Health & Fitness Expo.

The expo kicks off a weekend-long rally of support for the American Heart Association that includes the 32nd annual America's Greatest Heart Run & Walk Saturday.

The run-walk — which includes 30-kilometer, 10-mile, 5-mile and 3-mile runs and 5-mile and 3-mile walks — has raised millions of dollars for heart research and awareness over three decades. This year's goal is $1.46 million.

The Health & Fitness Expo will give community members an opportunity to visit booths hosted by local health organizations and businesses, receive complete health screenings from local professional health-care volunteers, register for run and walk events and receive some free goodies along the way.

The Mohawk Valley Heart Institute, Bassett Healthcare, Masonic Medical Research Laboratories, Capital District Physicians Health Plan, AmeriCU Credit Union, Matt Brewing Co. and the Boilermaker Road Race are a few of the agencies and programs that will be featured, said Dr. Mark Schug, expo chairman.

"The Health Expo has grown to be not just displays, but we have stressed information and education for visitors. Most of our booths are now health-related," Schug said.

Heart disease risk assessment has become a major feature of the Expo, as well as participation from hospitals and rehabilitation centers in the area, he said.

"Their participation has been helpful for people to learn about the risk factors of heart disease, what's being done and what they can do to reduce those risk factors," Schug said.

Individuals or teams that haven't yet registered for the Heart Run & Walk may do so between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. at Clark Athletic Center, said Anthony Iannone, assistant director for registration. Late arrivals, or those who won't have the opportunity to visit today's Health Expo, still will have the opportunity to register from 6 to 10 a.m. Saturday.

"We have greeters who will intercept participants coming to the door and will give them instructions in what to have ready," Iannone said.

But even if people have already registered, Schug said they should still come and check out all the fun activities at the Expo.

"It's definitely worth coming down and seeing what's going on," he said. "It will be a pretty busy day, but a lot of fun, too."