Area Businesses Raise $1400 for the AHA

Partners for Healthier Communities (PHC), a program of Goodall Hospital, organized several businesses to participate in a challenge for the month of February to promote the American Heart Association’s (AHA) “Go Red” campaign. As a Healthy Maine Partnership, PHC works tirelessly to promote the importance of worksite wellness to businesses in the Greater Sanford and Waterboro communities.   Although the AHA “Go Red” campaign focuses on heart disease in women, the initiative serves as an opportunity to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke among all employees.

This year the Goodall Hospital Wellness Committee organized a month long campaign that included special discounted meals, a jeans day, a community/staff presentation hosted by the Cardiac Department, and weekly raffles for people who purchased a Red Dress pin. Through this effort, Goodall Hospital employees were able to raise $575 to donate to the American Heart Association for the Go Red Campaign. The Baker Company quickly sold out of 25 Red Dress pins and was able to contribute $125 towards the fundraiser. The Sanford School District rounded out the participants and raised $726 by selling pins which entitled staff to wear jeans.

In addition to raising funds to support the American Heart Association’s mission, Partners for Healthier Communities presented “In a Heartbeat” to 25 Senior Citizens at the South Waterboro Bible Chapel as part of their senior luncheon series.  The presentation highlighted the signs and symptoms of heart attack and the importance of calling 911. To learn more about heart disease prevention and risk factors, visit www.heart.org or contact Sarah Roberts, Healthy Maine Partnership Director, at 490-7033 ext. 309.