February first is National Wear Red Day. The American Heart Association, along with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute created the event to raise awareness about women's health.
A Forsyth County organization hopes a special event Friday in Winston-Salem will get the community's blood pumping.
According to the American Heart Association heart disease is the country's number one killer of women, responsible for more deaths than all cancers combined.
Each year, on the first Friday in February, millions of women and men nationwide wear red to raise awareness about this deadly disease.
The organization Help Educate And Reduce Risk Today, or Red H.E.A.R.R.T will hold an event tomorrow afternoon at Hanes Mall, to educate women about the risks of heart disease and to encourage them to take charge of their health.
Cheryl Lindsay is organizing the event.
“We will have a Zumba Flash Mob that will be led by Women's Wellness and Fitness and we are going to out there moving our bodies to the tunes so we can show everyone how important it is to get out and move at least 30 minutes a day and you have fun while doing it,” says Lindsay.
Lindsay began the Red H.E.A.R.R.T organization after her mom died of heart disease in 1999. She was just 46 years old. Lindsay says the Zumba event will also include a health fair.
“We are going to have information all about your health and you can learn about fresh foods. We will have the, Cobblestone Farmer's Market there as well as Harmony Ridge Farms talking about CSA's and we will just play some fun health quiz games,” says Lindsay.
Lindsay says “In addition, we will have the Body Mass Index computation & Blood Pressure Checks available from the Winston Salem State University's Nursing Program so everybody can know their numbers.”
Lindsay is also working with Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools to provide a heart challenge program for students during the month of February.
The Zumba Flash mob will be held on Friday, February 1 from 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm at Hanes Mall, 3320 Silas Creek Parkway, W-S,NC, 27103 (downstairs level – atrium below Hanes Mall Food Court).
The Hanes Mall event is free and open to the public. For more information call 336.655.5101.
Meanwhile, hundreds of fourth and fifth grade students will attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest Zumba class for kids Friday morning at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem.