Recap: National Wear Red Day

American Heart Association’s Go Red Connect event at Macy’s in New York City

The month of February raced by…just like a healthy beating heart. I was honored and humbled to serve as the event emcee for National Wear Red Day in New York City! I want to especially thank the National sponsors Macy’s & Merck for sponsoring the GO RED events in NYC and congratulate the AHA Go Red staff who worked countless hours to ensure a fantastic event for all! Thank you Monica & Rosemary and the entire Go Red staff for allowing me to be a part of this amazing, life saving day…it was a first class event! I was inspired, moved to tears, and enjoyed every minute!

I saved this blog entry intentionally to keep “heart health” at the forefront and ask for your continued commitment every month of the year to remain dedicated to the cause. Raising awareness saves lives. Heart Disease remains the #1 killer, taking a woman’s life every minute! The good news… there’s hope! Each time I hear that statistic, it seems so unreal. After meeting and hearing each survivor share their stories on National Wear Red Day, I can assure you, heart disease is REAL!

Survivors: Lori Anne Parker, Katy Coffy, Pamela Coleman, Gail Mates, Linda Couch, Migdalia Rivera, Kay Lavelle and Jill Morin (mother and daughter).

Other memorable and exciting highlights of the day included, Merck fitness expert Andrea Metcalf. This lady is a powerhouse! She demonstrated simple exercises that women can easily fit into their daily routine.

Here are some key takeaways from Andrea’s presentation that are easy to remember.

* KNOW your numbers!!!
* Eat a healthy diet (1, 2, 3 when it comes to fruits & vegetables…starting with 1 at breakfast, 2 for lunch and so on…)
* Incorporate fish into your diet
* Exercise regularly
* Find ways to reduce stress (ouch, she truly stepped on my toes here…I’m a work in progress)
* And one of my favorites…If you’re on a conference call, walk around your home office during the hour long call vs. sitting at your desk. Such a great tip!


The most energizing (get up and make you want to dance) part of the day was the Zumba Jammers! These ladies were fantastic, entertaining, and inspiring as they demonstrated several heart-healthy Zumba dance routines!

Certified Zumba Instructors and Zumba Jammers! I call them SUPER- FANTASTIC!

Go Red VIP Event in Times Square. Thanks to the generous sponsors!

Heart Disease does not discriminate, it does not take your age into consideration, and even if your heart is made of gold (like my best friend, Brandi Hoffman) you could be at risk! Please take action today and tell 5 other women you want them to live! We don’t have minutes to spare.

Together we can STOP the #1 killer. Lead by example:

*REPRESENT…register for the movement http://www.goredforwomen.org/


*GO RED… wear the little red dress pin and show your support


*SHARE…your story, your experience, speak up nationwide for women's heart health


*VOLUNTEER…find your local affiliate


*CHANGE...Your lifestyle (leading by example)


*ADVOCATE...Be a voice!!! Tell 5 women today!

Ms. Julie A. Thank you for celebrating my birthday with me in the Big Apple! You continue to support my endeavors as Mrs. International, always making me look nice, and above all…being a TRUE friend.

I also want to thank Joey at the Competitive Image for graciously providing my fabulous red suit for the occasion. What in the world will I do without you after July? Your support and friendship mean so much. I have said it before and I will say it again…I am TRULY blessed!

March is National Nutrition Month!

What steps are you taking to eat a heart-healthy diet? Stay tuned…

Until next post, remain blessed!


Shannon