On Friday, Feb. 7, the Center for Leadership and Service (CLS) hosted a series of events in the Commuter Resource Center (CRC) joining in Wear Red Day, a national phenomenon where everyone supports the fight to raise awareness of women's heart health and the American Heart Association's battle against heart disease.
Wearing red is a way to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease and stroke in both females and males.
The event lasted from 1 to 4 p.m., beginning with a table where healthy snacks were given out to passersby and put into trail mix, which contained dark chocolate, almonds, granola with flax and chia seeds, cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds with walnuts.
Attendees were able to take brochures featuring healthy recipes. Stress balls were also available, as well as a photo opp for guests to take pictures and post on social media.
"A lot of people suffer from heart disease. I feel like this was a great event to raise awareness for it," said Oreoluwa Awoleye, a senior majoring in biological sciences.
When asked about how more awareness for heart disease could be raised, Awoleye felt that introducing it in a curriculum would help to make people aware of their personal habits and how they take care of their hearts.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Per data from the CDC, it killed 299,578 women in 2017, which accounts for 1 in every 5 female deaths.
1 in 16 women who are twenty or older have coronary heart disease, which is the most common type of heart disease.
The risk factors involved with heart disease are:
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- An unhealthy diet
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Drinking and smoking
Luckily, a person is able to lower their chances of getting heart disease by controlling their blood pressure, not using potentially damaging substances, eating healthily and managing stress effectively.
Later in the day, a yoga session was held, which was a fun way for students to relieve stress and relax. Taking a yoga class has many benefits, including improving cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, helping sleep and fighting artery-damaging inflammation.
"I thought the session was pretty interesting and it was a unique experience," said Althea Clarke, a freshman majoring in accounting. "It made me feel more relaxed and less tense than I was before."
"It was my first time doing yoga, and I am looking forward to doing it again," said Vidal Collado-Sanchez, a freshman majoring in marketing.
The American Heart Association's initiative, Go Red for Women, is a platform designed to increase awareness for women's heart health and improve the lives of women globally.
At the event, people were able to make donations to the American Heart Association. For more information on the American Heart Association and how to donate, visit their website.
The Center for Leadership and Service is committed to providing opportunities to the Kean community for leadership development, community service involvement, service learning, and campus organizational development by serving as a catalyst for participation.
More information about the organization can be found on Cougar Link. For questions, comments and concerns, they can be visited in MSC 219 and contacted by phone at (908) 737-5170 or email at cls@kean.edu.
