February 1st
was National Go Red day in support of heart disease awareness. Across our
country, men, women, children, and animals were decked out in red! Even the
Empire State Building joined in the fun. It was a beautiful and moving day,
especially for those who have been impacted personally by heart disease. I helped
at the St. Louis AHA Luncheon with over a thousand of my heart allies, finding myself
overwhelmed by the amazing energy in the ballroom throughout the afternoon.
Our
work has just started though. February 1st kicks off heart month.
All throughout February, we will work tirelessly to help educate and advocate.
You may get sick of hearing from me, but please know, I need the American Heart
Association to save my life. I depend on the research and the continued support
of AHA and Go Red.
 |
| Debora Grandison, survivor, Karen Guccione-Englert, survivor, and Rachelle Bartnick, St. Louis AHA |
If you weren’t able to
Go Red on the 1st, that’s okay. You can do it all month! Here are
some fun ideas for any day in February:
At
work:
-
hang up red holiday lights in your office or cubicle
-
decorate with red poinsettias
-
type in red for all your messages
-
have a heart healthy lunch with co-workers and invite a speaker in to share
heart-healthy tips
-
ask your co-workers to Go Red with you and encourage them to wear red
At
home:
-
bake cookies with red sprinkles or cupcakes with red icing
-
hang up red holiday lights, balloons or streamers
-
decorate with red poinsettias
-
if you have a pet, put a red bandana or bow on him/her
-
ask your whole family to Go Red with you and encourage them to wear red
At
school:
-
feature red foods or heart-healthy foods in the cafeteria
-
invite a speaker in to share heart-healthy tips
-
participate in Hoops for Hearts or Jump Rope for your Heart
-
dress up for Go Red and have a contest for the wackiest or most creative GO RED
outfit
At
church or special interest group:
-
invite a speaker in to share heart-healthy tips
-
offer up special intentions and/or prayers for those impacted by heart disease
and for the doctors and researchers working hard to end it
-
add a message about heart month in your church's newsletter or bulletin
 |
| Karen, Kim, and Mary -- 3 survivors from St. Charles |
Thank you for your
support of Go Red for Women and the American Heart Association. I am living
proof of their amazing work. With them, the beat goes on! - Karen
As
always, there is no pressure but should you wish to donate directly to the AHA
and Go Red, please use the following URL:
http://www.goredforwomen.org/wearredday/donate/advocatedonationform.html?kwoAdvocateId=536SMJ3
Your ideas are all inspiRED. I did indeed wear red to a gala reception at the St. Peters Art Centre - it's why I could not come to your Zumba shindig. A couple dozen children, some with "special needs", had painted pictures and then adults were inspiRED to interpret the paintings in poetry or other painting. I interpreted three lovely drawings, and my poems were displayed alongside the art. What an honor to meet some of the young artists.
ReplyDeleteMarcia - It sounds like we each had had an inspiRED night! Thank you for wearing red in honor of heart month.
ReplyDelete