Local American Heart Association's Go Red fundraiser raises $10K
February is the month of love, right? Yes! But, even more than that, it’s also heart health month. When my sister mentioned she’d be planning the fundraiser (spoiler alert: she well surpassed her fundraising goal of $10,000!) for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women initiative, I could not wait to help raise awareness. So, yes, the red attire and heart-shaped accessories were fabulous, as was the company (peep the video to see how my 5 year old niece, Bryce, “takes care of her heart” – but I also learned so much about how women can show love for themselves and the women we love!
Women face very unique challenges when it comes to heart health. The most obvious one is that we take care of everyone else, that we forget to take care of ourselves! It’s common knowledge that healthy habits lead to a healthy heart – but actively taking care of yourself is a whole other story. Lynn Mason, CEO and President of Broadstep Health, put it perfectly when speaking at the event: “You can’t fill someone else’s glass if yours is empty.”
The most shocking thing that I learned, though, was that signs of a heart attack manifest differently in women than they do in men. Women experience sudden fatigue, dizziness, and chest pains. (Sounds like just another manic Monday for any woman, right?) All joking aside, it is a shocking statistic that more than one in three women is currently experiencing some form of heart disease.
Lynn Mason, will also be climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to benefit and honor those affected by heart disease, and will be hosting the next fundraiser in April. Stay tuned to learn more about how you can get involved and help raise awareness around this issue unique for women. Visit www.heart.org for more.
Lucy T is a millennial and native New Yorker who is new to the Raleigh area. Her passions in life are pugs, pinot and pizza. She is also the new Marketing Director at Artsplosure. She and her six year old pug, Dazey, will be exploring Raleigh with WRAL.com’s Out and About. Follow along with their adventures on Instagram as she discovers all Raleigh has to offer!
