Go Red For Women is a national movement of the American Heart Association that has been raising awareness among women about the threat of heart disease to the lives of our friends, mothers, sisters and families. Go Red is thriving here in Richmond with the support of our generous sponsors and a passionate group of volunteers, and together we are saving lives.

As women, we often place the needs of others before our own. Now is the time to add personal well-being to our list of important ‘to-dos’. Together, we can educate ourselves, and our friends and families, about the signs and symptoms of heart disease in women, and on the small steps they can take to change their lifestyles and lower their risks of heart disease and stroke. There is great information to get you started at www.GoRedForWomen.org. You can also share your personal story on this site, get connected with other survivors, or start the BetterU 12-week program to eat better and get active.

I would like to personally invite you to make a donation to Go Red For Women, join our Circle of Red, or volunteer your time on our Passion Committee. As a supporter of this year-round campaign, you will be helping to change women’s lives throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Contributions are tax-deductible and specifi cally restricted for women’s heart disease research, advocacy and education. Find out more at www.heart.org/richmondvagoredluncheon or “Like Us” at facebook.com/RichmondAHA.

Heart disease kills one in three women, women just like you and me. Together, we CAN make a difference.

View a part of the Go Red for Women insert which is featured in this month’s Richmond Magazine.

Marilyn H. West
2012 Chair, Go Red For Women

The article below can be viewed in Richmond Free Press:

The Go Red for Women Luncheon promises to offer a spectacular sight in Richmond: A sea of women wearing red.

Their attire will accentuate a good, eye-catching purpose: To show that women, in a display of togetherness, can make a difference in improving women’s heart health.

The 2012 Go Red for Women Luncheon is a benefit to raise awareness and much-needed funds for cardiovascular research by the American Heart Association. It will be held next month at The Jefferson hotel.

Marilyn H. West, a prominent Richmond businesswoman, is this year’s Go Red volunteer chair. She enthusiastically accepts the challenge of making the heart-healthy luncheon a total success. What drives Mrs. West to be involved in this benefit?

“I am committed to promoting wellness and healthy lifestyles in women,” she says. One in three women die from heart disease.

For that reason, Mrs. West, 67, willingly is making the time to lead this event despite her already busy schedule. She is chairwoman and CEO of her own company, M.H. West & Co., Inc. a management, planning and education consulting firm she launched 21 years ago. (more…)

Each year, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) honors individuals and organizations that, through their tireless work and dedication to philanthropy, have improved the quality of life in their communities and around the world. Recipients of the Awards for

Philanthropy candidates are nominated for demonstrating outstanding commitment and leadership in all aspects of philanthropy. AFP recognizes these outstanding honorees that embody the true meaning of philanthropy—the love of humankind.

AFP’s 2012 honorees, announced this year on Nov. 15, National Philanthropy Day, include:

• MeadWestvaco – Corporate Philanthropist of the Year
• Saints $100 for 100 – Youth Philanthropist of the Year
• Linsey Kornblau – Spirit of Giving Award
• Lisa Schaffner – Volunteer of the Year
• Jessie Ball duPont Fund – Foundation Philanthropist of the Year
• Alan I. Kirshner – Individual Philanthropist of the Year
• John W. and Jane M. Roberts – Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy

M. H. West & Co., Inc.  Chair and CEO, Marilyn West was inspired by the event and happy for all the award recipients. Marilyn and her company invest in many of the organizations that make a difference in the region’s people, culture,  economic growth, workforce,  education, healthcare and environment.

M. H. West & Co., Inc. was proud to be a participating sponsor for the 2011 Richmond Kidney Walk. WEST had five participants this year:  Meaghan West,  Nanci Kapoor, Julian House, Sallie Armstrong and Joe Armstrong.  Over 200 walkers were involved in the event on a  perfect Sunday afternoon. So far the event has raised nearly $60,000. Their is still time to donate and help them reach their goal: Make a Gift to the 2011 Richmond Kidney Walk.

The Richmond Kidney Walk is a great event and all the WEST  members were happy to donate their time and effort to this worthy cause.

The Richmond Chapter of The Links. Inc. held a spring event with an impact stretching into the fall and winter. A portion of its proceeds from its biennial auction held at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on Saturday. April 16,2011 benefited local military veterans and their families. On Tuesday. October 25, 2011. The Richmond Chapter presented the Richmond Fisher House a check for $15.000.
Chapter members moved by the First Lady’s call to support The US military and their families. The Richmond Fisher House is a home for the families of returning veterans receiving care. at the Richmond Veteran Administration Medical Center (RVAMC). Other proceeds from the acution will support the chapter’s endowed scholarship at Virginia Union University, which now exceeds $100.000 and the purchase a noted piece of contemporary African American Art for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Charles Sepich. Fisher House Medical Center Director states, “We are pleased to have the Richmond Chapter of The Links, Inc . support the Richmond Fisher House. This Gift will enable us to enhance our ‘Project Wellness’ for families residing at our facility”.

The Chairperson of the Special Projects Committee which organizes the biennial auction is Jill Bussey-Harris, owner of Beautiful Smiles Dental Practice and the Chairman of Corporate Giving is M. H. West & Co., Inc. CEO and Chair, Marilyn H. West.