The Crowd: ‘Go Red’ lunch held in the name of women’s heart health
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Red is the color of note for the month of February, but not just because of Valentine’s Day.
More significantly, red is the color signifying the American Heart Assn.’s campaign to combat heart disease and stroke among women.
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, and over the last decade, the association has aggressively promoted its “Go Red For Women” movement in the month of February. According to its statistics, the “Go Red” movement has saved some 650,000 lives over the last decade.
In recognition of the Go Red For Women campaign, a luncheon unfolded in Orange County on Feb. 5 at the Hotel Irvine. Some 500 area businesswomen, including many community leaders, and supportive male partners came together and raised $500,000 to fund research directed at fighting cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Melissa Morales, executive director of the Orange County chapter of the American Heart Assn., and Kelly Grose and Laurinda Newell, chairwoman of the 2016 Go Red For Women event, welcomed the large crowd of dedicated supporters. Newell also serves as vice president of strategic business development at Cigna Health Care, the presenting sponsor of the daylong event.
A very long list of additional local sponsors included vital health organizations such as St. Joseph’s, Kaiser Permanente, Lindora, Anaheim Regional Health Center, Los Alamitos Medical Center and UC Irvine Health. Also lending support were Allergan, Abbott Medical Optics and a number of business concerns led by Macy’s, the national sponsor of the campaign.
The program began at 10 a.m. with a heart health expo presented by St. Joseph Hoag Health. Guests moved from booth to booth, getting information from diet and exercise to nutrition to advances in medicine and all aspects of heart-healthy care. On the more sublime, a massive silent auction set up in conjunction with the health expo featured one theme: handbags. The ladies were going wild bidding on their favorite purses.
Joining Newell in chairing the massive event was Deborah Proctor, CEO of St. Joseph Health. Go Red committee members included Annette Walker, Rochelle Karr, Monica Timpe, Renee Mazeroll and Adam Karr, chairman of the King of Hearts Auxiliary, which is made up of male support.
Significant local men fighting women’s heart disease from the Newport Mesa family included Max Gardner, Gordon Krischer, John Tangredi, Scott Sherman, Hoang Dang, Ray Brandt, Kamran Almad and Moti Ferder, the talented jeweler behind the Lugano Diamond salon.
The crowd converged in the Hotel Irvine ballroom for lunch at noon. An entrée salad featured seared chicken breast, Tuscan kale, tri-colored quinoa and grilled asparagus, all drizzled with champagne/pear vinaigrette and sprinkled with almonds. Guests sampled a cranberry apple crumble tart for dessert, while the luncheon program continued with a panel discussion lead by Pilar Gerasmio, a wellness expert and founder of Experience Life magazine.
Also contributing were Dr. Courtney Baechler and heart attack survivor Jen Thorson. An emotional message was delivered to the crowd by a Southern California wife and mother of two, Stacey Buchholtz. She shared her story of how CPR saved her life. Capturing the audiences’ attention before Buchholtz’s speech was the 911 call made by her husband, with the chilling voice of her son in the background pleading with his mother not to leave them.
Many of the primary backers of the Go Red movement locally belong to a society known as the Circle of Red. These members donate an annual gift of $1,000 and more and are key to the success of the American Heart Assn.’s programs. Fortunately, the list is long. Among the generous are Terry Goldfarb-Lee, Jamie Merkle, Nella Webster O’Grady, Linda Pierog, Julie Ann Ulcickas, Nancy Myers Wang, Stacey Nicholas, Peggy Day, Elizabeth Dahl, Idit Ferder and Lee Ann Canaday.
The Orange County Heart Ball will debut June 10 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Laguna Niguel. Organizers are calling the event “Let’s Have A Ball,” which will represent the 35th annual gala benefiting the American Heart Assn. and the American Stroke Assn. To learn more about the work of the association, visit www.heart.org.
B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
