Event Chairwoman Joanne Donaruma Wade addresses the crowd
Volunteers and community leaders gathered Tuesday night at Delmonico’s Italian Steakhouse to kick off the 2017 Go Red For Women campaign and meet the second annual Go Red Survivor Class spokeswomen. The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement educates and connects Greater Utica area women with knowledge and tools to help them make lifesaving choices.
The Go Red For Women movement in Utica is a year-round effort to fight the number one killer of women – heart disease. Highlights of the campaign include National Wear Red Day® on February 3rd, the efforts of the volunteers in the Circle of Red and Men Go Red groups, and the Have Faith in Heart and Faith in Fitness multicultural outreach programs. The campaign culminates with the Go Red For Women Luncheon on May 3rd, 2017.
The 2017 Go Red For Women Luncheon will be led by Corporate Chairwoman Kristen Martin of Utica National Insurance Group. Joanne Donaruma Wade will serve as Event Chairwoman.
Survivor Class members Elvira Maratta and Sarah Milograno
During the campaign kick-off, the American Heart Association also introduced the members of the Go Red Survivor Class, sponsored by First Source Federal Credit Union. This group of six women will share their heart disease and stroke survival stories to help inspire other women to pay attention to their heart health. The Survivor Class members will be featured throughout the Go Red For Women campaign by sharing their stories at events, in social media, and in other Go Red For Women promotions. Survivor Class members include:
Riya Burke, heart disease survivor
Deborah Kryczkowski, heart disease survivor
Sarah Milograno, heart disease survivor
Elvira Maratta, heart disease survivor
Angie Pavlovsky, heart disease survivor
Nicoletta (Nickie) Stilwell, stroke survivor
If you or someone you know is a heart disease or stroke survivor and wants to share her story, please contact Anne Sullivan, Go Red For Women Director, by calling (315) 580-3961 or emailing [email protected].
Throughout the evening, attendees also celebrated the women who help keep survivors going. Several mothers were in the crowd as their daughters were celebrated as Survivor Class members.
Sarah and her mom