The Pike County Heart Board is encouraging everyone to “Go Red for Women” by participating in National Wear Red Day on Feb. 5.

Annette Toney, co-chair of the Pike County Heart Walk, said “Go Red” T-shirts are now available at the Mapping and Appraisal Office downstairs at the Pike County Courthouse in Troy.

“The ‘Go Red’ shirts this year were designed by McKenzie Flowers, a preschooler at Heaven Sent Day Care in Troy,” Toney said. The shirts have a heart with a Band-Aid inside and the words, “Help Your Heart Feel Better.”

Toney said all 4-year-olds at day care centers in the county were invited to participate in the 2016 Pike County Heart Walk T-shirt design contest.

“We had about 50 entries and the Heart Walk Go Red committee selected the top three winners,” Toney said. “All three were from Heaven Sent.”

Hannah Skinner took second place honors and Dru Jinright was the third place finisher.

McKenzie will receive a 2016 Go Red T-shirt and a gift card and Hannah and Dru will be awarded T-shirts.

Toney expressed appreciation to all pre-schoolers who participated in the T-shirt contest. She said it is important for children to learn the importance of keeping their hearts healthy and the T-shirt design contest is one way to raise awareness among children.

“The T-shirts are great looking and share a very important message,” she said.

The shirts come in long and short sleeves. The long sleeve shirts are $15 and $16 and the short sleeves are $10 and $11, depending on the sizes.

“The Pike County Heart Board encourages everyone to ‘Go Red’ on Feb. 5 and to wear red every Friday throughout the month of February,” Toney said. “‘Go Red Day’ is an awareness campaign that aims to reduce the number of deaths caused by heart disease. “Heart disease and stroke cause one in three deaths among women each year and that’s more than all cancers combined.

“But that can be changed because 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. That’s why the ‘Go Red’ awareness campaign is so important.”

Toney said, since the first National Wear Red Day in 2003, tremendous strides have been made in the fight against heart disease and stroke in women.

“Nearly, 90 percent have made at lease one healthy behavior change,” she said. “More than one-third have lost weight and more than 50 percent have increased their exercise.”

Toney said, in addition, six out of 10 women have changed their diets and more than 40 percent have checked their cholesterol levels.

“Nearly 300 fewer women now die from heart disease and stroke each day,” she said. “Death in women has decreased by more than 30 percent over the last 10 year. As we continue to educate people about heart disease and stroke and, as research continues into heart disease, even more lives will be saved.”

The Pike County Heart Walk is set for Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Troy Recreation Center. Everyone is encouraged to participate and join the fight against heart disease and stroke.