Imagine waking up this Friday and leaving your house. You drop the kids off at school — you see red. You stop at a traffic light and notice everyone sitting in the cars surrounding you has on red. You stop by the grocery store and all the shoppers and cashiers have on red. You arrive at your place of work and there, too, everyone you see is wearing red!

By now, you’re thinking to yourself that you obviously didn’t get the memo to wear red, but more importantly, what kind of statement is everybody making by wearing something red?

Friday is National Wear Red Day. On this day, millions of Americans (including everyone in the Miss-Lou) will wear red to show their commitment to the fight against heart disease in women. Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together and wipe out heart disease.

Natchez Regional Medical Center is proud to be the local Go Red for Women sponsor. Thanks to the participation of millions of people across the country, the color red and the red dress pin have become linked with the ability all women have to improve their heart health and live stronger, longer lives. Go Red for Women began in February 2004 and has since grown into a vibrant national movement as more women, men, celebrities, health care professionals and politicians embrace and elevate the cause of women and heart disease.

By wearing red this Friday, you are helping raise awareness that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of United States women. It’s a way to get the word out to people you work with each day. It’s a way to show your concern for co-workers, family members and friends and empower them to take action against heart disease. Last but not least, Wear Red Day is just plain fun!

Go Red for Women empowers women with knowledge and tools so they can take positive action to reduce their risks of heart disease and stroke and protect their health. To learn more about the campaign, I encourage you to visit www.goredforwomen.org.

As the local sponsor, Natchez Regional Medical Center will be sponsoring a heart luncheon at noon Friday at the Natchez Convention Center. We will serve a light, healthy meal and you will have an opportunity to hear a presentation form the newest members of our medical staff, Dr. Forrest Rubenstein of the Natchez Thoracic, Vascular and Surgery Clinic. You will also receive handouts from the American Heart Association concerning heart disease and prevention. Please join us, dressed in red, of course, as together we gain the knowledge and power to help fight against heart disease in women.

Going red in your own fashion is about finding a personal way to take part in the fight against heart disease in women.

Going red in your own fashion is about finding a personal way to take part in the fight against heart disease in women. Whether it’s visiting a physician, eating a healthier diet, increasing your exercise, or wearing red this Friday, you can do something special to love your heart!

Melinda Pritchartt is a registered nurse and the director of the Heart Station at Natchez Regional Medical Center.