Tomorrow is National Wear Red Day, when the nation is coming together and wearing red to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease in women.
The American Heart Association reports that cardiovascular disease is the cause of death of 1 in 3 women because of inadequate education, research and funding. The first step to solving this problem is protesting it, hence Wear Red Day.
Kelley Berry, the executive director of the American Heart Association in the Central Valley, emailed a statement to The Collegian.
“Heart disease remains the number one killer of women in the U.S. and California, and stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability,” Berry said. “National Wear Red Day is a moment for us to raise awareness of these health threats to women, share education and advocate for better outcomes. Maybe that means scheduling your annual wellness exam, learning about your family medical history or going for a walk or run with a friend. I’m personally wearing red this year to honor the women in my family and community who have been touched by heart disease and stroke.”
In Fresno, this is a big deal. The Fresno Grizzlies, Saint Agnes Medical Center, the Savemart Center and the master-planned community Tesoro Viejo have announced that they will be participating by shining their lights red in support.
The Go Red for Women movement is sponsored by CVS Health, KSEE24 and KISS Country 93.7.
For participants in the community, there are several ways to get involved. Namely, by wearing red and posting on social media with the captions #WearRedDay, #WearRedAndGive and #CentralValleyGoesRed.
The AHA also encourages participants to donate to WearRedDay.org, join Research Goes Red, learn CPR, share personal stories, participate in the Central Valley Heart and Stroke Walk this October and join the American Heart Association’s You’re the Cure advocacy network.
