On the Road with Dr. Sinatra

Go Red for Women Fundraiser

Last weekend, Dr. Sinatra and I participated in a fundraiser to benefit the American Heart Association’s Go Red campaign to raise awareness about heart disease in women.

The fundraiser organizer was “Take-Down Tommy” Gleason, Dr. Sinatra’s wrestling team comrade and sparing partner from Mepham High School in Belmore, NY. Tommy and his wife now reside in Florida, and over the past few years that we have also been living in Florida, I’ve really been touched and impressed with how Tommy gives back to his community. 

Every year, he puts together a golf tournament that always benefits a local cause. He and Margaret spend a lot of time organizing, recruiting attendees and volunteers, and attending to all the details that go along with a well-run golf tournament—including a raffle to raise even more money. And the Gleasons do it with so much love and thoughtfulness—and, of course, Tommy’s indomitable candor and spunk! 

While Dr. Sinatra often participates in all of Tommy’s fundraisers, this year was particularly meaningful to us, as Tommy set his sites on a national cause: women and heart disease. He even made sure to schedule the 18-hole golfing event on a day that Dr. Sinatra could be there in support.

At the luncheon, Dr. Sinatra spoke to those gathered on the seriousness of cardiovascular problems in women. As he discussed in his book HeartSense for Women, as well as his newsletter Heart, Health and Nutrition, American women are five times more likely to develop heart disease than breast cancer. And, sadly, cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke kill more women annually than any other illness—including all the cancers combined.

Clearly, we all need to support any cause that raises awareness about heart health. So, there I was, the only woman in their usual male foursome—including a golf pro! And while I’ve never been much of a golfer (and hadn’t played in years…talk about intimidated!), the guys were really patient with me, and gave me a lot of great pointers. And, in the meantime, we focused on the charity at hand. And I encourage you to do the same. If you belong to a civic-minded community looking to get behind a worthy endeavor, please consider the Go Red Program.

You can visit www.goredforwomen.org, a great place for women to learn and network.  It’s a great resource, and you can even find or even sponsor a “Go Red Luncheon” in your area.

I know that next year, Tommy will be “going red” once again, and we will be there to support him. And this time the guys will need to watch out. I’ll be practicing and getting team shirts for the 2011 foursome, so we will at least have the wardrobe advantage!

For more information on cardiovascular problems in women, visit www.drsinatra.com.