The Second Annual “Heart and Soul Red Dress Event,” will enable up to 600 women of multiple ethnicities and economic status to wear red dresses in unity against heart disease and for healthier living and joy as women.
This year’s event has the theme, “Using Your Head to Care for Your Heart.” It is presented by the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the Center for Human Diversity, with the generous support of Mutual of Omaha. The gala will be held April 11 under the Mutual of Omaha Dome, 33rd and Dodge Sts., from 5-9 p.m. Last year’s event was a ladies night out like Omaha has never seen as guests learned how to protect themselves from heart disease, while laughing together and really living it up.”
The Red Dress event is not new, but we added our own special flavor to the national concept,” said Valda Boyd Ford, director, UNMC Community and Multicultural Affairs. “Traditionally, Red Dress events draw a middle-class audience and are not always conducive to ladies from the most economically deprived neighborhoods. Not ours. More than half of our guests were people not usually seen at the table.”
“We wanted to be the facilitators of good health in a setting that is usually reserved for the more affluent. We wanted to level the playing field – at least for one night – and show that heart disease doesn’t care who you are or what you wear. We did that and we are going to do it even bigger and better this year.”
Heart disease develops gradually and can start at a young age. The Red Dress is a symbol used by the American Heart Association and the National Institutes of Health to call attention to the prevalence of heart disease in women. Women often fail to make the connection between risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and their own chance of developing heart disease.
While most women are aware of the need to do self-screening and annual examinations to rule out breast and cervical cancer, few women are aware that 1 in 3 women will die of heart disease. That is in stark comparison to the 1 in 9 who will die of breast cancer. Yet, only 20 percent of women identify heart disease as the greatest health problem facing women today.
The program will include presentations by Monique Kusler, M.D. and Doris Moore. Dr. Kusler is assistant professor, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine-Section of Cardiology. She received her medical degree at the University of North Dakota’s School of Medicine and was the Chief Fellow in Cardiovascular Disease at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She is widely known for her public presentations on improving women’s cardiovascular health.
Moore is a licensed mental health therapist and CEO of the Center for Holistic Development. The Center for Holistic Development, Inc. is a leader in providing behavioral health education and outpatient counseling services. Moore and her staff have a demonstrated record of success in providing culturally sensitive prevention, education, advocacy, and intervention opportunities for positive development of all individuals in the Omaha community, regardless of race, gender or ethnicity.
The most anticipated part of the evening will be the international fashion show. All of the models wear their own traditional clothing representing the culture of their ancestral homes, often hand-sewn by themselves or family members. This year’s fashions will include clothing from such nations and ethnic cultures as Turkey, Cuba, India, Afghanistan, Native American, African American and Islamic.
Guests will be entertained throughout the evening by a dance music dee-jay to make sure every body gets up on their feet or feels like doing so. There will be exciting gift bags for all to take home, as well as special door prizes. The night will end with complimentary transportation home for those who may need it.
“Even older women with heart disease can improve their heart health and quality of life”, Ford said. “That is always the heart and soul of our message to the ladies for that night and all nights in the future. We just make sure everybody has a rocking good time doing it.”
For more information, contact Ford at 559-9660 or vford@unmc.edu.