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The Red Dress Project spotlights heart disease |
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The Red Dress Collection comes to Harrisburg for a health awareness program
By KATHRYN HERR Reporting Spring 2004 |
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HARRISBURG Pa. - Pinnacle Health recently campaigned for women’s heart health in Harrisburg boutiques and shops. About 50 businesses displayed red dresses and gave out literature to customers about heart disease in women. Many Valentines Day jewelers and florists included a red dress pin and poem in their usual Valentines Day gifts of jewelry and flowers. The event was part of a recent campaign in which the fashion industry teamed up with the Heart Truth and First Lady Laura Bush to educate women around the country about the threat of heart disease. The Red Dress Project is designed to raise money and create awareness of heart disease. Big name fashion designers created 19 red dresses to be included in the Red Dress Collection. On February 14, 2003 First Lady Laura Bush began the Red Dress Project campaign by giving a speech in front of the original collection of red dresses. The 2004 collection made its debut on February 6 and began touring the country in March with the Heart Truth Road Show sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. The dresses made appearances in Philadelphia, Chicago, San Diego, Dallas, and Miami. At each location, women were provided screening for heart disease risk factors and heart health information. For the first time, 26 of the most influential designers worked together with some of the most well known models. Together on one runway, they debuted the 2004 Red Dress Collection on the first anniversary of the Heart Truth’s Red Dress Project. “Heart disease is the number one killer of women in this country,” said Lisa Henry, marketing specialist for Pinnacle Health. Pinnacle Health also sponsored a local Red Dress project in Harrisburg on February 13 and 14, 2004. Eight of the 19 dresses were displayed at events throughout the weekend. About 500 people paid the $20 fee to attend a display and program at the Harrisburg capital rotunda. Candace Otto, Miss Pennsylvania; Peggy Fleming, prestigious ice skater; and Cokie Roberts of NBC News each spoke about women and heart disease at this location. The following day the dresses were shown at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. About 250-300 employees and their family members attended these events, including an IMAX production. A Valentines Day dinner dance, with attendance of approximately 300, was held in the evening with the dresses present. This event was mostly for entertainment, but included heart health education presentations as well. “We gave out tons of literature and did over 200 screenings with the programs,” Henry said. Screenings on locations include a paper risk assessment about health history, family health history, and additional risk factors. The main target of the campaigns are women 45-years-old and up. “Heart disease doesn’t discriminate,” Henry said. “All women are at risk just because they are women.” There are a number of things women can do to lower their risk of heart disease. “Make a date with your doctor is the first thing,” said David Carl, communications director for the American Heart Association, Pennsylvania division. The American Heart Association sponsored the Go Red for Women campaign in Pennsylvania. The goal of this campaign is similar to that of the Red Dress Project - educate women about heart disease and motivate women to make changes in their lifestyle to prevent heart disease. A routine checkup for assessment and risk factors with a doctor is crucial for all women, said Carl. A change in physical activity and diet, in accordance with a doctor’s instructions, can also help prevent heart disease. Some risk factors are smoking, obesity, little or no physical activity, and a family history of heart disease, said Carl. In one year, one million Americans will have a first or repeat heart attack. Of that, approximately 1.5 million will die, according to statistics from the American Heart Association. Mrs. Bush spoke about the risk of heart disease, quoting statistics from an unknown source. “Nearly 2,600 Americans die from this disease every day, one person every 34 seconds,” she said. “The Red Dress is a symbol that heart disease doesn’t care what you wear- it’s the #1 killer of women”, says The Heart Truth website. The Heart Truth wants to educate women about the threat of heart disease and “change the perception that it is only a man’s issue.” The Red Dress pin can be spotted around the country on the coats, shirts, and accessories of women. The first Red Dress pin was designed by a leading accessory designer, Angela Cummings, according to The Heart Truth website. Since the original design, there have been many different dresses for the symbol pin. Included in the Cow Parade in Harrisburg City is a cow wearing a red dress, located on Chestnut Street near the east shore. All stories in this magazine are the intellectual property of the individual authors. You may email comments about this story to: kah928@psu.edu
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