ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – On Friday morning, there was a sea of ​​red as far as the eye could see at the Denaina Civic and Convention Center in downtown Anchorage. Approximately 500 people dressed up for the role at the 20th Annual Go Red for Women Luncheon. The event is an American Heart Association event focused on spreading awareness and raising funds for heart disease and stroke.

According to the association, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women. She added that almost half of women over the age of 20 now have some form of heart disease.

The luncheon program included interactive work sessions as well as educational breakout sessions on topics such as health care.

Chelsea Hunt, a stroke survivor, said: “I was just sitting and watching a presentation on “Stroke Against Stroke,” where they drew pictures with their non-dominant hand and talked about what rehabilitation looks like for stroke patients. I had to show it,” he said. A few years ago. “I was lucky that I didn’t have any symptoms after that, but I wanted to wait and see what happened.”

Another feature of the event was that photos were lined up near the entrance on the third floor. In each of these photos, event chair Ella Gross shared the stories of heart disease and stroke survivors.

“They definitely bring the statistics to life,” Gross said. “Unless you’re affected, it’s just another disease you don’t know about. So hearing these ambassadors speak will help raise awareness in the community and raise money for research. It helps us understand why collecting is so important.”

Hunt was one of the women in the photo. In February 2022, when she was 36 years old, Hunt suffered a stroke while on the phone with her friend.

“I was sitting on the couch talking to a friend on FaceTime and suddenly she asked me what was wrong with my face,” Hunt said.

Hunt recalls that her 12-year-old daughter called 911 and within minutes was assisted by medical staff and taken to the hospital for surgery.

“I never expected to have a stroke. I had high blood pressure and I thought, ‘Oh, no big deal,'” Hunt said.

Now, two years after that incident, Hunt is using her story to teach others. She wants people to understand the importance of taking care of their health and paying attention to warning signs, she said.

“It’s about understanding your health and your heart better and making sure you don’t develop any further symptoms,” Hunt said.

The association’s next big event this fall will be the annual Heart Run and Walk, which will be held at the Alaska Airlines Center on Saturday, September 21, 2024.

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