Go Red for Women

The American Heart Association developed the “Go Red for Women” idea with local communities to personalize the awareness of heart disease and stroke among women.

Schenk Photography had the distinct honor of meeting and making portraits of eight of the survivors for the event.  As we made portraits, we got to hear first hand, the story of crisis and then triumph that each woman has faced through a battle with her own heart.    The heart and the soul of each woman was so evident in their testimony of strength and zeal for life, that we dug deep to capture that fervor in a portrait. 

Held on Tuesday, May 31, in Baird’s Chapel at Cumberland University, women from throughout Wilson County were treated to ‘Go Red’ hospitality.  Health screenings conducted by University Medical Center checked measurements on blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, and weight.   Select vendors opened a boutique of novelty items for guests to browse.  Guest speakers telling stories of near-miss crisis with their health accompanied a heart healthy lunch.   Every lady present received a gift bag of items from local businesses.

As lunch concluded, the guests of honor one by one took the stage to tell their chilling story of survival.  Poster sized images of each lady, compliments of Schenk Photography filled the stage behind the speakers.  It was an hour of chill-bumps and sobs as these brave ladies shared stories of remarkable, often miraculous, recovery.

At Schenk Photography, we carefully consider those events to which we will volunteer our services.   It only took meeting the first woman to realize that we had made a wise decision to be part of this worthy cause.   To learn more about the Go Red for Women campaign and how you can support it,  visit the American Heart Association.