“What is National Wear Red Day?” Don’t feel bad, I wasn’t aware of the movement either, until I discovered it during a little on-line research last year. That is when I first discovered the Go Red for Women’s website.
“Go Red for Women” is a national movement to help raise awareness of heart disease. According to the American Heart Association’s website at http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200011 many people are still unaware that heart disease is the number one killer of women in America. My own mother suffered from silent heart attacks and had open heart surgery while still in her fifties. More recently, my younger sister-in-law underwent heart by-pass surgery this past week so I feel obligated to help raise awareness and educate others about preventing this deadly disease.
Go Red for Womenhas helped inspire and empower women through their awareness campaign and educational activities.
How can you help raise awareness of heart disease?
Register at “Go Red for Women” here:http://goredforwomen.org/index.aspx. There you can take the Go Red Heart Check Up and learn your own risk factors for heart disease. I took the heart check-up myself and it only takes a few minutes. It could reveal important information you may be unaware of that could potentially help save your life.
What are the warning signs and risk factors for heart disease? Cholesterol and blood pressure management are among the topics covered.
What about smoking, diabetes, family history, heart attack and stroke? Find out how factors affect you personally and what you can do about them to make positive changes in your health. Someone with diabetes clearn how to to help manage their risk at the American Heart Association’s website here: http://www.americanheart.org/diabetes
Go Red for Women encourages physical activity to improve heart health for women and offers a free 12-week physical activity program that can be downloaded. The program allows you to track your progress and help attain your own personal heart health goals.
The Go Red for Women website proclaims that now, thanks to participation from millions of folks across the country, the color red and the red dress have become symbols of Go Red for Women and their fight to help improve heart health so women live stronger, longer lives.
“Go Red for Women” is currently soliciting women from across the country in a nationwide casting call. They are looking for stories from women about the choices women they have made live healthier lives and and improve their well-being.
According to Go Red for Women official website, they are using the casting call to select a group of women to represent Go Red For Women in their upcoming 2009-2010 awarweness campaign. The chosen women will be featured on the Go Red For Women’s web site, upcoming “Go Red For Women” marketing materials and special events, and possibly even in a second Go Red For Women NBC TV special on women and heart disease.
Go Red for Women is looking for women to tell how they have made healthy changes in their life. The winners of the Go Red for Women casting call will help raise heart health awareness by sharing how they turned their personal choices into positive actions that helped their heart health.
There are three ways to share your personal story and enter the Go Red for Women competition. The following information is taken directly from the Go Red for Women official web site at:http://goredforwomen.org/castingcall/
1. Join “Go Red for Women” in New York City, at Grand Central Station, Friday, Feb. 6th–National Wear Red Day from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). Interested women should be prepared for cameras that will be filming contestents live.
2. Tell your story in front of a camera at a casting call in your local area
3. Submit your written story, or video, online describing the choices you have made to improve your well-being at www.GoRedForWomen.org/Community.
Go Red for Women offers a downloadable booklet featuring stories of real women living with heart disease. View it here: http://www.goredforwomen.org/discussionguide/ . The bookelet includes tips, recipes, and other information designed to help start a conversation with family and friends about heart health.
“Go Red for Women” would like to encourage everyone to join them in celebrating “National Wear Red Day” this Friday and help raise public awareness of heart disease and the devastating effect it can have on women. Show your support by remembering to wear red this Friday, February 6th, 2009.
Sources:
1. The official Go Red for Women website at: http://goredforwomen.org/index.aspx
2. The Go Red for Women Discussion Guide at :http://www.goredforwomen.org/discussionguide/
3. The American Heart Association website at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1200011
and http://www.americanheart.org/diabetes
4. Go Red for Women Casting Call web links at: http://goredforwomen.org/castingcall/ and ww.GoRedForWomen.org/Community
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