Valentine's Day means different things to different people. And with the sheer commercialisation of the day, many have lost sight of what February 14 really, truly means.

However, on Wednesday, there was a small glimmer of hope as Hearts Awake used its influence to literally touch the lives of people who need it.

A brainchild of the makers of Awake Purified Drinking Water, #HeartsAwake was a concept that was brilliant in its simplicity: a human chain was formed, 24km long, to drive a message home.

“Since our ability to make a real impact depends on everyone who drinks Awake Water, we wanted to share this success with all the people who had trusted and supported us, that is why this Valentine’s Day we have involved communities, friends, families and all people in Accra to be part of our donation to the Korle Bu Cardiothoracic Center,” said Richard Adjei, the MD of Kasapreko Company Limited, makers of Awake.

And that was not all. The company went further to issue out a cheque to the Cardio Center at Korle Bu. Since Awake puts aside a portion of every purchase made to the cause, the amount on this cheque - GHS 120,000 - is for the last quarter of 2017.

In all, the company says that in the past two years, the Awake brand alone has donated a total of about GHS 500,000 to the cause, supporting about 30 patients in the process.

The amount was received by Dr Lawrence Sereboe, Head of the Cardio Center. "I'm always impressed with those companies that give consistently. They are the bedrock of what society stands for - giving to those who cannot afford key treatments like these".

Human chain

As the name implies, a human chain sees people hold hands from one location to another over a distance. It is believed that this 24km human chain by Kasapreko's Awake team is the longest of its kind in Ghana.

It started at the company's plant at Spintex, through Manet Junction, Accra Mall, Aquinas School, Oxford Street, TTC, Joy FM, Graphic Road, Abossey Okai and then finished off at Korle Bu.

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