During American Heart Month in February, three Quad Cities-area women joined the American Heart Association to fight cardiovascular disease (CVD) through the region’s inaugural Woman of Impact initiative.
Woman of Impact is an extension of the Association’s Go Red for Women movement, a comprehensive platform designed more than two decades ago to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally.
This year’s Women of Impact campaign kicked off Feb. 2 and concludes April 4. The campaign’s goal is to raise funds to support research and education to better identify, diagnose, treat and prevent CVD in women, the association announced in a news release Tuesday, March 12.
The Quad Cities’ 2024 Woman of Impact nominees are:
- Marcia Erickson, business and executive coach, ActionCOACH.
- Dounia Sareini, marketing coordinator, Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors.
- Lonna Woods, broker-REALTOR, The Robinson Group Brokered by eXp Realty.
The Quad Cities 2024 Woman of Impact winner will be announced after the campaign conclusion in April. In addition to the local market winners, one nominee from across the country will be named the National Woman of Impact winner.
“Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in women, claiming more lives than all cancers combined,” Ani Snyder, executive director for the American Heart Association, Eastern Iowa, said in the news release. “It’s vital for all women to take charge of their heart health and encourage others to do the same. Nearly 45% of women over age 20 are living with some form of CVD.”
“I am here to encourage women to raise their voices and make sure all women in the Quad Cities know how to take steps now to protect our hearts later,” she added.
A nationwide initiative, Woman of Impact launched in more than 100 cities across the country on National Wear Red Day, Feb. 2. Hundreds of nominees nationwide embarked on a nine-week journey to help transform the health of women through education and fundraising, the release said.
Each week, nominees participate in activities designed to create a culture of wellness and advance health equity. Activities may include educational events, learning and spreading the word about CPR, getting physically active, recruiting women to participate in research and more. Nominees also raise critical funds for the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement in Quad Cities.
Women experience unique life stages that can increase their risk of developing CVD over the course of their lifetime. In fact, CVD is the number one killer of new moms as the leading cause of maternal mortality. The good news is, most cardiovascular events can be prevented with lifestyle changes and education, which are the foundation of the Association’s Go Red for Women movement.
To learn more about the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement in the Quad Cities, visit www.heart.org/QuadCitiesGoRed or contact Shelly Naumann at [email protected].
