S&T Bank’s Andrea Splain to chair 2025 Capital Region Go Red for Women campaign
Just two months ago, Andrea Splain, vice president and commercial banker at S&T Bank, decided to try again to quit smoking, but this time she knew that she needed more than just willpower to succeed. Now, she is finding motivation in her new role as chairwoman of the American Heart Association’s 2025 Capital Region Go Red for Women® campaign.
“I have struggled with quitting smoking my entire adult life and I was praying for something to reveal itself as my reason to stop and remain that way,” said Splain. “When I was asked to become the chair for the 2025 Go Red for Women campaign, I knew immediately this was what I was praying for; I couldn’t and wouldn’t accept this role being a smoker.”
In her role as chairwoman, Splain will lead a volunteer executive leadership team in a year-round effort to engage local women in the fight against heart disease. Highlights throughout the year include the nationwide celebration of National Wear Red Day on Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, which will also kick-off the nine-week Woman of Impact fundraising and awareness campaign. The year culminates with the annual Capital Region Go Red for Women event in May 2025.
With the support of Splain and S&T Bank, the American Heart Association will also lead a Tobacco Free Schools workshop for local school administrators and staff responsible for tobacco and vaping education and discipline. The workshop will provide educators with information regarding trends in youth tobacco use and emerging products, the science of nicotine addiction, evidence-based strategies to help kids quit and the American Heart Association’s guidance on creating a tobacco-free school framework.
Tobacco is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S. It kills more than 480,000 people in the U.S. and 8 million people globally every single year. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease and stroke by two to four times. Also, women who smoke have a 25% higher risk of developing heart disease compared to men who smoke. There are many unfounded beliefs, particularly among adolescents, that vaping is safer than combustible cigarettes. However, vape products can deliver much higher concentrations of addictive nicotine than traditional cigarettes. More information about quitting smoking and preventing tobacco use among youth is available at heart.org/quitsmoking.
“I’m proud to say I have been smokefree for over two months now and know that supporting this cause will keep it that way,” said Splain. “I look forward to helping spread awareness and help people quit smoking and vaping as they are a huge contributing factor to heart disease.”
The Go Red for Women movement is a comprehensive platform designed more than two decades ago to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally. According to the American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, claiming more lives than all cancers combined. Nearly 45% of women over age 20 are living with some form of CVD[1]. Go Red for Women is a global movement with impact across the United States and in more than 50 countries around the world.
Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health. The 2025 Capital Region Go Red for Women event is locally sponsored by S&T Bank, JMA Resources and UPMC.
For more information about supporting the Capital Region Go Red for Women campaign as a volunteer, sponsor, donor or event attendee, visit heart.org/goredhbg or contact Tony Duffy at tony.duffy@heart.org.
[1], [1][1], [1][1][1] , [1]V Tsao CW, Aday AW, Almarzooq ZI, Anderson CAM, Arora P, Avery CL, Baker-Smith CM, Beaton AZ, Boehme AK, Buxton AE, Commodore Mensah Y, Elkind MSV, Evenson KR, Eze-Nliam C, Fugar S, Generoso G, Heard DG, Hiremath S, Ho JE, Kalani R, Kazi DS, Ko D, Levine DA,Liu J, Ma J, Magnani JW, Michos ED, Mussolino ME, Navaneethan SD, Parikh NI, Poudel R, Rezk-Hanna M, Roth GA, Shah NS, St-Onge M-P, Thacker EL, Virani SS, Voeks JH, Wang N-Y, Wong ND, Wong SS, Yaffe K, Martin SS; on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart disease and stroke statistics—2023 update: a report from the American Heart Association [published ahead of print January 25, 2023].
Circulation. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001123