Attending the Go Red for Women Luncheon on Feb. 12th, was like having lunch in a sea of inspiration! I left the luncheon more energized than ever to encourage all of the women in my life to be proactive about heart health. More than 650 women from across Southeast Michigan came to hear the powerful and touching stories of women who have survived heart attacks. The Go Red campaign grossed $603K, and $30K was raised during the silent auction and “Open Your Heart” appeal on the day of the luncheon.
The Go Red event kicked off a day earlier with a Red Dress Fashion Show hosted by the Somerset Collection and the American Heart Association. The show featured local media personalities and keynote speaker Kim Coles followed by an exclusive VIP event at Tapper’s Diamonds & Fine Jewelry. On the luncheon morning, many women came early to take advantage of free health screenings, participate in the silent auction and patronize booths of local health-focused vendors.
The Renaissance Center ballroom was packed with well-dressed women in vibrant hues of red. (Move over Julia Roberts!) I was taken aback when luncheon emcee Deena Centofanti, of FOX 2 News, asked whose families had been affected by heart disease and nearly every hand in the room shot up.
“Even my family has been touched since my Aunt Lil’s life was dramatically changed by heart disease,” said Centofanti, who reminded attendees that cardiovascular diseases and stroke cause 1 in 3 women’s deaths each year.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig attended the lunch and shared how he is encouraging all police officers to lose weight and make healthier decisions in phase one of the department’s 90-Day Weight Loss Challenge. Programs like this give women and men in Detroit one more reason to lead healthier lifestyles.
“We’re so proud to have so many wonderful national and local sponsors for the luncheon,” said Centofanti, during a presentation that acknowledged more than 40 event and media sponsors. These included sponsors: Macy’s, St. John Providence Health System, McLaren Macomb, Consumers Energy, Dakkota Integrated Systems, Duffey Petrosky, ITC Holdings Corp., Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing, N.A. Inc., DTE Energy, and Jackson National Life Insurance Co.
A video and speaker presentation featured personal stories by Shelly Appel, who has her husband, Jeff, to thank for saving her life and urging her to go to the hospital. Another speaker, Sally Lou Loveman, who worked for The Oprah Winfrey Show for 20 years, also shared her story about how she has a genetic disposition to heart disease.
“I’m in the minority of women who are affected by heart disease not because of lifestyle but because of my genetic disposition,” Loveman said. “I tried to do everything right; I ate healthy, worked out, practiced yoga, but I still had to work to stay on top of my health.”
A close second to Coles’ hilarious speech, Loveman’s effort to urge every attendee to donate to the American Heart Association in exchange for a stylish heart scarf was probably the most energetic moment of the luncheon.
With her personal story and the command of the microphone, she successfully encouraged entire tables of attendees to make a donation before leaving. As she shouted out table numbers of gracious donors, more and more women stood up to cheer her efforts! It was far more memorable than all of the basketball or football games I’ve attended in the past year combined.
Coles, best known for starring in “Living Single” and “In Living Color,” brought the house down with the humorous way she urged attendees to be vigilant about their heart health.
“I don’t have a family story of heart disease, but when I moved to Chicago to do a TV show a few years ago, I started having heart palpitations,” she explained. “When I went to the doctor, he asked why I was using so much salt on my food and eating so bad.”
Coles said the experience was a wake-up call to change her lifestyle. “I always thought that BMI stood for Be Munching Indefinitely,” she joked. “But I think that the palpitations were God’s way of saying ‘Do what you need to do to be healthier.’”
She urged all of the attendees to “get it together” when it comes to better health. Coles shared an inventive and inspiring acronym that drew a lot of laughs from the crowd.
“I believe each of us have a gift to share with the world and mine happens to be love and laughter,” she shared. “G.I.F.T.S. stands for gratitude, intention, forgiveness, triumphant and self-love.”
After breaking down the meaning of G.I.F.T.S., the newly-married Coles shared that she is currently producing a Houston-based reality show and that she and her new husband will star in their reality show.
This year’s luncheon co-chairs, Janice Cosby Bridges, and Sharyl Smith, thanked Coles for supporting this year’s event and coming to Detroit.
“We’d like to thank each of you for attending this year’s luncheon,” Cosby Bridges said. “Remember that the best thing women can do is to get a health screening and encourage other women to do the same.”
About Post Author
