‘Go Red’ celebrates matters of the heart

Eleven years ago, the American Heart Association created the “National Wear Red Day” to build awareness of heart disease. This month, the Las Vegas “Go Red for Women” network celebrated its 10th anniversary of fighting heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women age 20 and older.

Nearly 400 guests attended the annual luncheon at Caesars Palace. Keynote speaker was American Heart Association Ambassador Sheryl Lee Ralph. Ralph starred on Broadway in “Dream Girls” and in a string of TV sitcoms.

“It’s about someone in your family,” Ralph said, noting her mother lived with being overweight, headaches and high blood pressure. “It resulted in my mom getting a pacemaker. My mother could be you, so pay attention to the signs and go to the doctor.”

Local artist Courtney Blanchard of CB Pastel Paintings presented Ralph with a portrait.

The event began by getting women on their feet doing Zumba exercise led by Mistress of Ceremonies Kelly Clinton Holmes and a Zumba instructor.

Of the women who join the Go Red movement, “more than one-third have lost weight, nearly 50 percent have increased their exercise and one-third have talked with their doctors about developing heart health plans,” chairwoman Ellen Whittemore said.

“This day coincides with the eleventh anniversary of National Wear Red Day, the day we show our collective determination to eradicate heart disease in women,” Whittemore added.

There were auction items donated by Saks Fifth Avenue, tickets to “Menopause the Musical” and the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Pink Jeep Tours and yoga classes at the Northwest Yoga Studio, among others.

“We are very proud to be a founding national sponsor since 2004,” said Macy’s Kelly Fernandez. Macy’s has helped raise more than $46 million, and donated $50,000 to the Southern Nevada American Heart Association. “We are dedicated to the cause,” she added.

Also speaking to the crowd was Simon Keith, a heart transplant recipient who played soccer for UNLV and professionally. He thanked the American Heart Association for saving his life.

Guests included Kathleen Frantz, Wendy Thomas, Carl Wayne, Kimberly Cohn, Sheola Bangalore, Jerry Metellus and entertainer Clint Holmes.

Janet Bartels, director of the Alaska American Heart Association, attends the luncheon every year with her daughter Jacyn who is a volunteer in Alaska. “Because of the American Heart Association I found out I had high blood pressure and it changed my life. I’m alive because I found out,” Janet Bartels said.

The American Heart Association challenged the participants to make it their mission to fight heart disease by “bringing their network into our network, by giving five women you care about the power to save their lives at www.GoRedForWomen.org.”

Katie Lever of Bally Technologies was named next year’s chairwoman for the 2015 Go Red for Women Luncheon.