DETROIT – It was a sea of red Wednesday in Detroit at Huntington Place for the annual Go Red for Women Lunch.
This is the 20th year for the event, which raises money for women’s cardiovascular research.
As much of a celebration as it is with live music and food, it’s also about empowerment.
Women, even in their red dresses, are equipped with the life-saving skill of hands-on CPR, a testament to their capability and proactive approach to their health.
The mission is to bring heart disease awareness.
“Trying to tell everybody that heart disease is the number one killer of women,” said Dr. Joan Crawford, Detroit Go Red for Women volunteer. “Men classically get chest pain 25% of women get chest pain; the rest get easier fatigue ability, shortness of breath, upper gastro disruption in that weird nomad zone they don’t know if it’s their gallbladder or their stomach an ulcer or their heart.”
Detroit has participated in the American Heart Association’s campaign since the beginning.
Crawford has volunteered for all 20 years and said she has seen local life-saving progress.
“It used to take an hour for 911 to get to someone’s house and get them to the hospital, so the mortality rate in Detroit was one of the highest in the nation, and now it’s on par, on average, with everywhere else,” Crawford said.
The hope is to continue encouraging other women, hopefully for another 20 years.
“Until we’ve reached every woman everywhere, we haven’t reached everybody,” said Crawford.
Every year, the Go Red for Women Campaign takes a crucial step in addressing a specific aspect of women’s health. This year, the focus is on maternal health, a topic of utmost importance.
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