This year, Tucsonans can Go Red for Women from their very own homes: As a result of COVID-19, the local luncheon fundraiser for the American Heart Association has gone digital.
The event will kick-off with the first-ever Go Red for Women Digital Telethon and Textathon from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, featuring a livestream on the AHA Tucson Facebook page — www.facebook.com/TucsonAHA — headlined by master of ceremonies Edmund Marquez and special guests such as UA football coach Kevin Sumlin.
To make a donation, call 917-7520 or text “GoRedTelethon” to 41444 to access a link to donate online.
The main event, the Go Red for Women Digital Experience, begins at noon Thursday, Sept. 24. The hour-long Zoom webinar, which is free and open to the public, will feature inspiring survivor stories and the opportunity to wear red and join other supporters online. Registrations is available online at bit.ly/3hp8MnS.
The digital party is rooted in a movement that began in 2004 to promote awareness about the incidence of cardiovascular disease as the leading cause of death for women in the United States, the event generates funds for education, outreach and research, according to Krystal Webb, the communications and marketing director for the AHA in Nevada and Tucson.
Research funding includes nine active local grants totaling more than $1.8 million at the UA.
Webb said efforts continue to promote outreach about prevention as well as symptoms of heart attack in women.
“Heart attacks look much different in women than in men. In movies, you often see men clutch their chest and fall to the ground, and in the real world when women are having a hart attack, they might not experience the same crushing pain … it might present itself subtlety as dizziness or faintness, nausea or tightness in your face or upper back,” said Webb.
The organization also stresses the importance for women of all ages to “know your numbers” — including blood pressure and cholesterol — according to Rashundra Gamble, co-chair of the event with Casey Kay.
“The statistics show that nearly 48% of females over the age of 20 have some form of cardiovascular disease, and that incidence is higher in minorities. In African-American women, it is 57% and I believe that a lack of knowledge contributes to that. Women don’t understand that because our symptoms look different, symptoms may go untreated for years,” said Gamble.
Gamble stressed that women must take the time to take care of themselves and schedule regular physicals, just as they do for their children and families.
“Find time to go to the doctor. If you feel you are having any issues, from the smallest things to the biggest things, communicate with your doctor. With your heart you can never be too sure,” she said.
Overall, she is excited about the opportunity to virtually expand the reach and impact of Go Red for Women, which she has been involved with for the past four years.
