14 UCW FEBRUARY 14-20, 2018
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
EVENTS
Women often speak in terms of
their heart – having a full heart, a
broken heart, big-hearted friends,
or so-and-so is a sweetheart. People
and things that matter most to us are
close to our heart, and there's the
Southern classic, "Bless your heart."
Heart disease is the number one
killer of women. More women die
from heart disease than all forms of
cancer combined. While the entire
month of February is dedicated to
heart health, the Sandhills American
Heart Association is bringing the
topic to the community in a power-
ful and practical way at the Sandhills
Go Red for Women Luncheon. The
event is set for Friday, Feb. 23, from
11 a.m.–2 p.m., at the Metropolitan
Room in downtown Fayetteville.
"The purpose of the luncheon is to
raise awareness and take a moment
for the women and family members
of women in the room to educate
themselves and empower them with
knowledge of the signs, symptoms
and risk factors of heart disease and
stroke," said Liz Mileshko, director of
development for the American Heart
Association. "In women, a heart at-
tack may present itself as jaw pain,
nausea, headache, lower back pain,
dizziness – or you may not have any
signs at all."
Mileshko added it is important to
know your blood pressure, cholester-
ol levels and whether heart disease
runs in the family.
While heart disease is scary, there
are preventive measures women can
take. "We encourage women to visit
their cardiologist and get a physical
once a year to make sure there are no
blockages or signs pointing toward
a higher risk for heart disease," said
Mileshko. "We encourage 30 minutes
of cardio a day, eating healthy and in
moderation, having several elements
of color on your plate and learning
how to season and cook your food
properly so you are not using a whole
lot of sodium."
The goal of the event is to raise
$40,000. Every dollar the American
Heart Association raises goes toward
funding research. The event will fea-
ture speakers, a silent auction, a sur-
vivor fashion show, a heart-healthy
lunch and entertainment.
"During the luncheon portion, we
will have a medical expert speaker,
Dr. Tabitha Bedini. She will speak
about the cold, hard facts of heart
disease and stroke and your risk
factors," said Mileshko. "Then our
keynote speaker, Kelsy Timas, will
speak about overall emotional heart
health and how financial, emotional
and relationship stress can affect our
heart health."
Mileshko added there will be a
survivor speaker in her early 30s
with heart disease who will share her
powerful story.
"We would like to thank our spon-
sors, First Health of the Carolinas and
Carolina Heart & Life Center," said
Mileshko. "We look forward to seeing
everyone at this informative event."
Tickets cost $60 and are available
at GoRedSandhillsNC.heart.org.
For more information about table
sponsorship opportunities, contact
Mileshko at 678-907-9841 or
Liz.Mileshko@heart.org.
Get educated at the Go Red for
Women Luncheon
by DR. SHANESSA FENNER
More women die from heart disease than all forms of cancer combined.
DR. SHANESSA FENNER, Prin-
cipal, WT Brown Elementary School.
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