Bike a Major Artery to Save a Woman's Heart
Bike a Major Artery to Save a Woman's Heart with
 Sunday, October 11, 2009 |
Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Caron Butler of the Washington Wizards to Serve as Co-Chairs for 1st Annual Event
Fundraising Event to Raise Awareness for Heart Disease – The No. 1 Cause of Death for Women in the United States
Washington, D.C. – Heart disease is the No. 1 one killer of women in the United States. Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation will be taking aim at the disease with the first annual BIKE FOR THE HEART, on Sunday, October 11. The fundraising event brings focus to heart disease with one in four women today dying of heart disease every year. District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Washington Wizards Forward Caron Butler will serve as Co-Chairs for the event.
"BIKE FOR THE HEART supports Sister to Sister's mission to help women take action to improve and maintain their heart health as well as the health of their families and communities," said Irene Pollin, Founder and Chairperson of Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation. "Initiatives like BIKE FOR THE HEART will enable us to continue to educate women about heart health and risk prevention, and provide free heart health checkups through our National Women's Heart Health Fair."
Sister to Sister's BIKE FOR THE HEART, is a series of three events taking place in downtown Washington, D.C. Kicking-off the day's activities at 8:00 a.m. on Abe Pollin Way in front of Verizon Center will be America's Main Streeter: a five-mile family-friendly bike ride around the nation's capital, and an Arena Spin-a-Thon on stationary bikes inside of Verizon Center. The third event of the day is the Heart of the Nation Time Trial: a five-mile time trial around the city. The Sister to Sister BIKE FOR THE HEART Festival, featuring activities for kids, entertainment and an awards ceremony, will take place on Abe Pollin Way outside of Verizon Center to conclude the Sister to Sister BIKE FOR THE HEART event. Registration and information on fundraising for all three events is available at www.bikefortheheart.org.
"I'm pleased to welcome Sister to Sister's Bike for the Heart to the District of Columbia," said Mayor Fenty. "Events such as Bike for the Heart make great contributions to health awareness and fitness in the District."
With heart disease being the number one killer of women in the United States, Sister to Sister's BIKE FOR THE HEART will become an annual event alongside the National Women's Heart Health Fairs. The annual heart health fairs screen women free of charge in 10 cities nationwide during the month of February in conjunction with National Women's Heart Day. In Washington, D.C., Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation has provided comprehensive screenings and counseling to over 10,000 women and more than 30,000 women have attended its annual heart health fairs. Sister to Sister is proud of the investment it has made in the District, estimated at over $2 million in saving women's lives since 2000.
Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation is the nation's only organization dedicated to preventing heart disease in women by providing free heart disease screenings and programs that give women the power to learn their risks, take action, and change behavior. Founded in 2000 by women's health advocate, Irene Pollin, Sister to Sister's programs and services include its signature National Women's Heart Health Fairs; the Women's Heart Health Data Registry in partnership with Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School; and, educational events for women in leadership roles to disseminate the message throughout their local communities. For more information, visit www.sistertosister.org. For more information please contact Lisa Marinelli with Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation public relations at 301-718-8033 x. 37.
###
Sister to Sister: The Women's Heart Health Foundation would like to thank its sponsors: Clark Construction, FELD Entertainment, GEICO, Hudson Trail Outfitters, Ltd., Mix 107.3, NewsChannel 8, Sport & Health, Verizon, Washington Mystics, Washington Sports & Entertainment, Washington Wizards, and WJLA-TV.