Duby McDowell announced as the 2024 Chair of the Greater Hartford Go Red for Women Luncheon as the American Heart Association Celebrates its Centennial Year
STEM Goes Red event to educate high school students set to take place April 2024
HARTFORD, CT – October 17, 2023— The American Heart Association, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all, announces it will host its Annual Greater Hartford Go Red for Women Luncheon on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at the Connecticut Convention Center. The campaign will be chaired by Duby McDowell, President, McDowell Communications Group.
The Go Red for Women movement, celebrating its 20th anniversary, is designed to raise awareness about cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death for women in the United States, as well as generate funds for lifesaving cardiovascular research for women. This signature women focused event coincides with the American Heart Association’s centennial year, and will feature a keynote speaker, inspirational survivor, silent auction and a heart healthy lunch.
“There is such a need for women to realize their risks for heart disease,” said Duby McDowell. “I look forward to collaborating with the American Heart Association and the Executive Leadership Team and help bring awareness to this critical issue, as well as provide tools and resources needed for women to lead heart-healthy lives. This is personal to me because heart disease has been a part of my family history. Just this year my three sisters and I dug deeper into our own cardiac health; without the appropriate information the results could have been dire.”
As the 2024 Go Red Chair, McDowell has formed an impressive Executive Leadership Team to spearhead fundraising efforts. Members include:
- Katy Carrillo Stanley Black & Decker
- Deborah Denno Federman, Lally & Remis
- Elizabeth DeVito Hartford Steam Boiler
- Diane Lopes Community Volunteer
- Dana Neves WFSB
- Claudia Norman CVS Health
- Paula Ostop Marshall + Ostop Team, William Raveis Real Estate
- Alison Rogers-McCoy Brandywine Global Investment Management
- Haley Sofiane CareCentrix
- Laura Schuntermann Cigna
- Caroline Wilke Signify Health
Since 2004, Go Red for Women has had a profound impact on women’s health. As the trusted, passionate, and relevant force to eradicate heart disease and stroke, through the Go Red for Women movement, the American Heart Association remains steadfast and committed to meeting the comprehensive health needs of women — at every life stage.
Greater Hartford STEM Goes Red
As part of the Go Red for Women initiative, STEM Goes Red brings young women together for this cause. This year’s Greater Hartford STEM Goes Red will be chaired by Katy Carrillo, IT Director – Tools Commercial North America with Stanley Black & Decker.
STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and the event will focus on educating young women about the opportunities in these critical fields. The focus of the Greater Hartford STEM event is to change the impact of heart disease by aspiring young women and successful female leaders to create a platform for positive change as it relates to innovation, technology, health and wellness in women.
“STEM jobs are critical to enable research and research is critical to the improvement in heart related care,” said Carillo. “As a heart survivor and with family members impacted by heart disease, I know that life-saving procedures available to us were made possible because of STEM fields. By empowering the younger generation to consider a STEM career we are giving the opportunity to open doors that may help those impacted by cardiovascular diseases have a second or third chance to live longer and healthier lives.”
The Greater Hartford STEM Goes Red event provides young women from Connecticut schools the opportunity for to hear from mentors in the STEM field and ask questions to learn more about opportunities they may never knew were available.
It is projected that there will be 3.5 million STEM jobs in the U.S. by 2025, and 2 million of those jobs will go unfilled. The STEM employment gap is further compounded by persistent diversity challenges, as women and minorities comprise 70% of college students, but of one hundred female students working toward a bachelor’s degree, only three will work in a STEM job 10 years after graduation.
Go Red for Women is nationally sponsored by CVS Health. For more information on sponsoring or attending the Go Red for Women luncheon or the STEM initiative contact Adria Giordano, adria.giordano@heart.org or visit https://event.gives/goredhartford.
About Go Red for Women®
The American Heart Association’s signature initiative, Go Red for Women®, is a comprehensive platform designed to increase women’s heart health awareness and serve as a catalyst for change to improve the lives of women globally. While nearly 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, claiming the lives of 1 in 3 women. For 18 years, Go Red for Women has encouraged awareness. The movement harnesses the energy, passion, and power of women to band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk. It also gives them tools they need to lead a heart healthy life. The Go Red for Women movement is nationally sponsored by CVS Health, with additional support from national cause supporters. For more information, please visit GoRedforWomen.org or call 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721).
About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Media Inquiries: Mary Ann Burns | 413-335-9044 | mary.ann.burns@heart.org
For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721) heart.org