The
American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement will be
celebrated in Calaveras County the first weekend in February. Mark Twain
Medical Center (MTMC) is setting
the pace by encouraging county residents to wear red on Friday, Feb. 7,
which is National Wear Red Day. MTMC then teams up with Soroptimist
International of Calaveras County to host a Red Shoe Stroll the
following day.
The Red Shoe Stroll is a walk for the entire family on Saturday, Feb. 8, beginning at 8 a.m. at MTMC. The stroll begins with a Zumba warm-up session on the helipad and
will be followed by a health fair in the hospital lobby. It will feature information booths, speakers and more.
“We
are excited to host a local celebration of the American Heart
Association’s Go Red for Women movement,” explains Craig Marks,
president of MTMC. “Go Red has made great
strides over the past ten years building awareness that heart disease
is the No. 1 killer of women. The AHA also provides tools to encourage
women – and men – to make healthy lifestyle choices. Activities
following the stroll will include cooking demos showcasing
AHA recipes prepared by the MTMC culinary staff.”
“Women
and heart disease is also an important issue for Soroptimist
International,” explains Billie Westernoff, president of the local
club. “Our organization has focused
for several years on educating women about their risk factors and the
importance of screenings to detect heart disease. With the support of
MTMC for several years we have provided local women access to free
health screenings through our Take Women to Heart
program. The 2014 project will kick-off at the Red Shoe Stroll and
proceeds from the event will help support the program. Last year over
500 women took advantage of these free lipid panel screenings which can
indicate risk factors for heart disease and other
serious conditions.”
The American Heart Association explains
“What it means to Go Red” with the following acronym:
Get Your Numbers:
Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure and cholesterol.
Own Your Lifestyle:
Stop smoking, lose weight, exercise and eat healthy.
Realize Your Risk:
Heart disease kills 1 in 3 women.
Educate Your Family:
Make healthy food choices and stay active.
Don’t be silent:
Tell every woman you know that heart disease is our No. 1 killer.