Red Dress event educates women on heart disease

A VIP limo brings some attendees to the Heart and Soul Red Dress Event.

Valda Ford stands with a group of women from the Bantu tribe of Somalia, East Africa.

The 2006 Heart and Soul Red Dress Event was a stunning success that brought together more than 400 women of diverse backgrounds for an evening of glamour, camaraderie and learning at the Scott Conference Center.

The motivation behind the free April 5 event: To warn women about their No. 1 killer.

“Heart disease kills more women today than breast cancer,” said Valda Ford, director of Community and Multicultural Affairs at UNMC. “One out of every three women dies from heart disease, but it can be prevented.”

The evening of April 5 was the culmination of months of careful planning to ensure that women in the Omaha community, who would normally not be able to afford to attend such an event, were finally “at the table.”

“Last September I was invited to give a keynote address at a similar event in Norfolk, Neb. After looking around at who was present I noticed that there were no women of color or women from other countries,” Ford said.

Heart disease & women Heart disease affects women differently than it does men. Women are more likely to die within one year of having a heart attack; they are less likely to survive bypass surgery and are more likely to have complications after an angioplasty procedure. The symptoms of a heart attack can differ in women and may include: Discomfort in the jaw, neck, arm, chest, back, or shoulder. Sweating. Shortness of breath. Fatigue. Vomiting/nausea. Feelings of anxiety.

“Not only were the women attending there to learn how to live healthy lives but they were there to enjoy themselves as well. I wanted to be able to do that for the women in Omaha who were least likely to be able to attend such an event,” she said.

Ford’s success was evident in the variety of women present April 5.

At one table sat a group of newly arrived women from the Bantu tribe of Somalia, East Africa. At another table were a group of sassy senior citizens from the North Omaha community — all members of the Red Hat Society. And at yet another table were a group of women from Central and South America.

The evening started out in true Hollywood style glamour with more than 120 women arriving in limousines – an experience many said they’d never had. VIP Limousines transported women from the most vulnerable neighborhoods who were unable to get to the event on their own. The women walked a red carpet and were escorted to their tables by escorts in tuxedoes.

Heart attack survivor Mary Brown shares her experience.	Kristie Hayes, M.D., left, and Margaret Robinson attend the event.

The evening started off with a surprise as Ford and her “Pips” as she called then — Tamicka Bradley (coordinator of community projects, UNMC Community and Multicultural Affairs) and Renee’ Myles — did a rousing rendition of Peggy Lee’s classic “I’m a Woman.” The trio, however, revised some of the lyrics to include heart-healthy lessons.

The women also were treated to a heart-healthy dinner of salmon and baked chicken, an educational skit by Denise Chapman about the importance of exercise and a keynote address from local cardiologist Sherrill Murphy, M.D.

Community Partnership, as well as numerous UNMC volunteers, played a large role in pulling the event together

During the fashion show, Debra Taylor modeled traditional Korean attire.

Among the highlights of the evening was an ethnic fashion show that featured traditional regalia from Cherokee and Navajo Nations, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Southern Sudan, Mexico, Panama and Korea. Most of the models were members of the Omaha community who, under the direction of Linda Benson Stearns of Lincoln, pulled the fashion show together like experienced runway models.

Attendees went home with various giveaways, while two won the largest prizes of the night: a leather coat and a weekend stay at the well-known Arbor Day Lodge in Nebraska City, Neb.

Weekend news anchor Suzanne Deyo of KETV NewsWatch 7 served as mistress of ceremonies.