By Karen Dahlstrom, Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Augustana College
It is my pleasure to serve as Chairperson of the 2015 Quad Cities Go Red for Women Lifestyle Forum and Luncheon. This luncheon highlights our important message delivered throughout the Go Red for Women campaign, and your presence helps guarantee our success. The funds raised during the event and throughout the year will be used locally to promote education and awareness regarding heart disease in women.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. Each year, more women in the US die from heart disease than from all forms of cancer combined. Simply stated, there is no greater killer of American women. Yet, too often the danger of cardiovascular disease is trivialized by women in our society — dismissed as an “old man’s ailment” from which they feel immune. According to one statistic, just one in five women realize health disease is their number one health threat.
For this reason, the Go Red for Women Movement, organized by the American Heart Association, is working to raise awareness about women’s heart health. It challenges each woman to learn her specific risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and to take action to control them through adopting a more heart-healthy lifestyle.
Eighty percent of cardiac events in women may be prevented if we make the right choices for our hearts. Exercise, diet, and abstinence from smoking are the keys to prevention.
The Quad Cities Go Red for Women Movement works to make sure women know they are at risk, and so they can take action to protect their health. I hope our luncheon provides you with the information and motivation you need as you choose the path towards a healthier heart.
Please consider attending the 12th Annual Quad Cities Go Red for Women Luncheon on Wednesday, November 4th, 2015 from 10:30am to 1:00pm at the River Center, Davenport. Join us this year as we celebrate the energy, passion, and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke.
For additional information about the luncheon, tickets, or sponsorship opportunities, contact Michelle Gitzen at (563) 323-4321 or michelle.gitzen@heart.org. Visit us online at www.quadcitiesgoredforwomen.org
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