Sonia Suber, the VP Information Systems & Technology at Sodexo, will serve as the executive volunteer chair of the 2024 Greater Maryland Go Red for Women® movement, 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.
As the American Heart Association celebrates its centennial, Suber will play a critical role by leading the Baltimore and Greater Maryland Breakfast in Red and Go Red for Women Luncheon in 2024.
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. Heart disease and stroke continue to be Maryland women’s greatest health threat.
Suber knows the devastating impact heart disease can have on women. She lost her mother, her aunt and two female coworkers to heart disease.
“Those losses have inspired me to take better control of things in my life, such as diet, exercise and managing stress, that can all have a significant impact on your heart health,” Suber said.
Women, especially Black and Hispanic women, are disproportionally impacted by heart disease and stroke and research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger women. Yet, younger generations of women, Gen Z and Millennials, are less likely to be aware of their greatest health threat, including knowing the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes. All women must take charge of their heart health and encourage others to do the same.
“The Go Red for Women movement, to me, is about uplifting women. I like to encourage people, to give people the tools and resources to help educate themselves,” Suber said. “And that’s what I hope to do, along with the American Heart Association, in this role; to empower women to take control of their heart health and to positively impact more lives in the future, just as the AHA has done for the last 100 years.”
Go Red for Women is a global movement with impact across the United States and in more than 50 countries around the world. This year’s Go Red for Women movement and its local achievements will be celebrated on April 12, 2024, at the 2024 Greater Maryland Go Red for Women luncheon. The luncheon will take place at the Marriott Owings Mills Metro Station.
“We are so grateful to have Sonia as our Go Red for Women chair this year,” said Tracy Brazelton, Executive Director of the American Heart Association, Baltimore & Greater Maryland division. “Her passion for our mission and leadership will make a notable impact on the lives of women in our community and the families that depend on them.”
Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health and the Greater Maryland Go Red for Women campaign is locally sponsored by Johns Hopkins Medicine, University of Maryland Medical System, LifeBridge Health, MedStar Health, BRG, Luminis Health, Rehabilitation Hospital of Bowie and United Healthcare.
For more information contact Roslyn Hannibal-Booker at [email protected] or visit www.heart.org/goredmd.