More than one thousand men and women gathered at Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries in Baltimore on Sunday, February 13 in celebration of the 7th Annual Red Dress Sunday.

02/15/2011

More than one thousand men and women gathered at Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries in Baltimore on Sunday, February 13 in celebration of the 7th Annual Red Dress Sunday. Red Dress Sunday, an annual event held the Sunday before Valentine’s Day and hosted by Saint Agnes Hospital, is designed to educate women about the risk factors of heart disease. This year’s event was sponsored by CareFirst BCBS, United Health, the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and The Heart Truth. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and is most common among African American and Hispanic women.

“Saint Agnes Hospital is proud to partner with Baltimore City and our sponsors to raise awareness about this devastating disease,” said Bonnie Phipps, President & CEO of Saint Agnes Healthcare. “Together, we hope to continue to educate women about the dangers of heart disease and inspire them to take the steps that can proactively prevent it.”

Women and men who participated in Red Dress Sunday wore red to Sunday services and were educated about the risk factors of heart disease. In addition, the congregation received health information materials on maintaining a heart healthy lifestyle and participated in a health fair featuring vendors, door prizes, fitness experts and food demonstrations.

United States Senator Benjamin L. Cardin and Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake were among several elected officials who attended the event at Mount Pleasant.

“Red Dress Sunday is an important effort to remind people ~ especially women~ about the need to live a healthy lifestyle,” said Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. “There are simple steps we all can take to make our hearts stronger: cut your salt intake, make healthy food choices, exercise more often, quit smoking, and schedule regular blood pressure and cholesterol screenings.”

Photos from yesterday's event can be found here.