Fairfield "Go Red" Luncheon

The Go Red initiative is the national campaign of the American Heart Association that raises awareness about women’s heart health. Over the past fifteen years, Go Red events have been hosted throughout the Midlands.

On Thursday February 13th, a crowd of over 50 gathered at the Fairfield County School District Auditorium for the second annual Go Red Fairfield Luncheon. The annual luncheon is a partnership with Providence Health to raise awareness about heart disease in women.

The luncheon was hosted by Fairfield citizen, Tonya Green who approached Providence Health about hosting the event to revive the Go Red presence in the county. The luncheon committee included Tonya Green, Caroline Montgomery, Kristin Irby, Jackie Wallace, Kay MacInnis, and Jennifer Johnson. The luncheon is also an opportunity to strengthen the Providence Health presence in Fairfield county. Providence operates a free-standing Emergency Care Center in Winnsboro.

Joe Bernard, Chief Marketing Officer with Providence Health, shared data that depicts the use of the Emergency Center. In 2019, the Winnsboro facility saw 9,690 patients, and its state of the art imaging center provided 5,587 images services for patients.

On hand at the luncheon, to share the mission of the American Heart Association Midlands and the Go Red initiative, was Catherine Ramsey. Local resident, Eliza Boulware shared her story of surviving heart surgery. She motivated attendees to pay attention to symptoms and be heart healthy. Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women. It claims more women’s lives than all forms of cancer combined. Providence Health Nurse Practitioner, Lien Swieringa, was the featured presenter and provided valuable heart health information for women.

The event was a delicious luncheon filled will stories of encouragement, educational information, and lifestyle change recommendations for a healthy heart.