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. Read the rest of this entry »

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.