University News

Heart Health Month and Go Red Day Celebrated at Western

January 21, 2016

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MACOMB, IL - February is Heart Health Month, and Friday, Feb. 5 is National Wear Red Day for Women's Heart Health, sponsored by the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women organization.

On Feb. 5, in the Western Illinois University Multicultural Center, the WIU Women's Center, in collaboration with Beu Health Education, Campus Recreation, the Employee Wellness Committee and the Dietetics, Fashion Merchandising and Hospitality (DFMH) Department, will sponsor the annual Go Red Luncheon. The event will feature speakers, door prizes and a resource fair with information for heart healthy living at WIU and in the Macomb area.

The resource fair will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1:15 p.m. In addition to the sponsoring organizations, resource tables will be provided by Beu's Alcohol and Other Drugs Resource Center, Students T.A.L.K. Peer Educators, Eta Sigma Gamma, the McDonough County Health Department, McDonough District Hospital Outreach Services, the University Counseling Center and Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority, which has heart health as part of its philanthropy. Beu Health Center will be providing free blood pressure screening, and the Bella Hurst Institute will be providing glucose screening.

The luncheon, which will be held from noon-12:50 p.m., will feature a heart-healthy, red-themed meal catered by students from Associate Professor Carol Longley's HM 356 class. This year's menu includes soup, pork roast, potatoes and green beans, fruit salad, a beverage and a cranberry muffin. A vegetarian option is also available.

The cost of the meal is $7 for students (payable by cash, check or Rocky Dollars) and $10 for non-students. Registration and payment are due to the Women's Center (Multicultural Center 209) by Wednesday, Jan. 27.

According to Women's Center Director Janine Cavicchia, this year's guest speaker will be Assistant Professor Sarah Schoper, from WIU's College Student Personnel Program.

"We're excited to have Dr. Schoper share some words of wisdom she's gleaned in the past year after experiencing an unexpected heart-related health crisis," Cavicchia said. "Between Jan. 6-7, 2015, Sarah experienced a pulmonary embolism, two seizures, two strokes and cardiac arrest for an hour. She says the CPR she received for 57 minutes, along with the staff at McDonough District Hospital (MDH), helped save her life. After about six weeks in rehab at Saint Francis Hospital in Peoria, she was released and shortly after started outpatient rehab at MDH. She is writing a book about her health crisis and subsequent on-going rehab, and we're looking forward to hearing her inspiring remarks."

Women's Center graduate assistant Emily Henkelman, who is serving as chair of this year's Go Red Planning Committee, noted that luncheon attendees will be eligible for door prizes, which include a personal training package provided by Campus Recreation; a certificate for a round of golf at Harry Mussatto Golf Course; a massage donated by Penny at Dudley Street Massage; books on women's heart health donated by the Women's Center; garden healing stones engraved with a heart health logo, donated by Lacky Monuments; and an additional door prize donated by MDH Outreach Services.
JoAnn Hairston-Jones, health education coordinator at WIU's Beu Health Center, believes National Wear Red Day is a good opportunity to educate students and other campus and local community members about the importance of heart health.

"Heart disease is the number one killer of American women," Hairston-Jones said. "Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases kill more women in the United States than the next five causes of death combined, so events such as this can help educate women and others about the risk factors - diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, being overweight and smoking - and help each of us take an active role in preventing heart disease."

The committee is encouraging WIU students to attend the event.

"Hypertension is becoming more common among younger adults," Hairston-Jones said. "Its prevalence increases with lifestyle factors, genetics, and can adversely affect heart health."

For more information, contact Hairston-Jones at (309) 298-3225, or J-Hairston-Jones@wiu.edu or Cavicchia and Henkelman at (309) 298-2242 or womenscenter@wiu.edu. For more information about the American Heart Association's National Wear Red Day visit GoRedforWomen.org.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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