American Heart Association Announces 2021 Go Red for Women Event, Leadership Team

The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® movement is issuing an urgent call to raise awareness about the No.1 killer for women in the U.S. during the annual Southern Arizona Go Red for Women breakfast event on Sept. 24. 

The association is working diligently to provide reliable, science-based information for the approximately 120 million people in the United States who currently have one or more cardiovascular conditions and who already may be at higher risk for COVID-19 complications. For women, this is vital as nearly half (48%) of women in the United States age 20 and up have some form of cardiovascular disease. For those living with heart disease or having survived a stroke, preventing the virus is key.

This signature event will be held at the Westin La Paloma Resort at 8 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 24. 

It will feature inspiring survivor stories, other speakers bringing both education, resources and motivation and an online silent auction. The experience is designed to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death for women in the United States, as well as generate funds for lifesaving cardiovascular research for women. 

This event follows the first-ever STEM Goes Red event on Friday, Sept. 17, which will bring together Southern Arizona culturally rich and talented high school female students representing a diversity of gender identities and expressions with mentors in STEM fields. The goal is to increase the number of women and other gender identities pursuing STEM degrees in higher education and to close the gender identity representation gap in STEM jobs. 

Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health and the Southern Arizona Go Red for Women event is locally sponsored by Arizona Complete Health, Encompass Health, Marana Healthcare, Optum, Casino Del Sol, Pima Heart and Vascular, and Sonora Quest Laboratories.  STEM Goes Red is sponsored by TEKsystems, Silverado Technologies, Banner University Medical Center Tucson, TMC Healthcare, UA Tech Park, and Chicanos Por La Causa, Charlene Grabowski, Hydronalix, Tucson Electric Power, and the Michael and Claudia Levin Family Foundation. Silverado Technologies’ Allison Duffy is the chair of the 2021 Go Red for Women movement in Southern Arizona.

“I am honored to chair the 2021 Southern Arizona Go Red for Women event. I am passionate about educating women about their potential risks of heart disease at every age. Being a part of women taking charge of their health, closing gender gaps in research and addressing inequities in healthcare are just a few of the driving factors that have inspired me to be involved in and committed to the American Heart Association’s mission throughout my career,” said Duffy. “2020 was definitely a year like no other, and COVID has taken a toll, but we’re still standing. Now more than ever we all know that our health and the health of our loved ones are critically important. When communities come together, there is nothing we can’t achieve. Now is the time to Live Fierce and take charge of our health. So please join me as we GO RED for Southern Arizona in 2021!”

Duffy is joined by a team of prominent female leaders in Tucson, who are making the Go Red movement possible. The Go Red for Women Executive Leadership Team includes:

• Wendy Marquez, Allstate Insurance, Circle of Red Chair
• Carol Stewart, UA Tech Parks
• Charlene Grabowski, Pathfinder Strategies 
• Claudia Levin, Port of Tucson
• Isabella Conte, Park Senior Villas
• John Worden, TMC Healthcare
• Lesah Sesma-Gay, Casino Del Sol
• Lydia Aranda, Chicanos Por La Causa
• Natalie Fernandez Lee, Meridian Wealth Management
• Sommer Green, NOVA Home Loans
• Sonia Vohnout, OppsSpot
• Susan Gray, Tucson Electric Power
• Vivian Highton, VLW Strategy + Implementation

Over the past 17 years, Go Red for Women has funded life-saving women’s research, advanced public health policy, championed closing gender gaps in research and STEM and created a platform for women to address their greatest health risk – cardiovascular disease. Go Red has had a profound impact on women’s health and will continue remove the barriers women face to achieving good health and well-being and continue to be a champion for women and women’s health.

To register and get more information, contact Melissa Dye at 520.236.4587 or melissa.dye@heart.org. For more information, go to SoAZGoRed.heart.org.