Grateful for the Unexpected Honor!

The 8th Annual Go Red Luncheon in Tacoma, Washington was earlier this week. Prior to the luncheon there were two hours of VIP pampering for 100 of the 250 luncheon guests. The pampering included hand massages, parafin wraps, a light buffet, blood pressure tests and the first chance at the silent auction.

Our Go Red Ambassador program, which I am extremely grateful for as it gives me a place to serve in honor of my late husband, Lee Oberbeck, started late last year and this is the first year the Ambassadors were at the luncheon. I was moved and delighted by a very inspiring fashion show made up of our Go Red Ambassador survivors, ranging in age from about seven to seventy-six years of age. They each did a wonderful job of sharing their personal story of survival and walking across the stage in an adorable outfit from Macy's, one of the sponsors of the luncheon.

During the program I was surprised by an unexpected presentation. I was honored as the first, Go Red Ambassador of the Year. The words, Founding Go Red Ambassador, are inscribed on the beautiful Tiffany bowl I was given. It was an amazing and humbling honor to receive this award for doing something that I am so passionate about. I am grateful for the honor, the acknowledgment and for the pleasure I receive from being with and working with the many amazing women I am so honored to serve with.

Here is a video I made as a tribute to all the Go Red Ambassadors I have the pleasure of serving with. It explains "Why We Go Red". My husband, Wild Bill Jones, who is our Go Red Mascot and Guy Friday to all the ambassadors took the videos during the luncheon. Some of our ambassadors were not there, this is in honor of them too.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1-fTsl7Kyo

What do we do as Go Red Ambassadors? We give presentations to different organizations and businesses in the South Sound region. Our presentation consists of a short power point where we share the warning signs of heart disease, show what a heart attack is, share the risk factors and show what you can do to take actions to prevent heart disease. After that we share our personal stories. Each one of us has a very different story to share. I became a widow in an instant when Lee died suddently of a heart attack, Victoria is a heart transplant recipient, Tina is a heart attack survivor, Carol is a sudden cardiac arrest survivor, Lori is a stroke survivor and we have many more brave and courageous women who share their stories in the hopes of saving lives.

Most of us, including me, are not professional speakers. Here is a video of one of my Go Red presentations. Several of us spoke at the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency in Olympia, Washingtom on April 13, 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZEx6-31zUI

Do you know that heart disese is largely preventable? Since January 2010 our Go Red Ambassadors have talked to over 1000 people in the greater Tacoma area. We have the intention of saving lives and we believe we have an impact of increasing awareness to the warning signs of heart disease and how to prevent one in the first place by choosing to live a heart healthy life. Please support any Go Red movement in your own community or start a Go Red program of your own. The life you help to save may be that of a loved one or someone you never meet. We never know who we will impact by sharing these stories of survival.

With Love and Gratitude,
Dyann