American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown Says House Passage of the HEART for Women Act is an Important Stand in Support of Women’s Health

Washington, DC (September 30, 2010) - The U. S. House of Representatives has taken an important stand in support of women’s health with the passage of the Heart Disease Education, Analysis and Research and Treatment (HEART) for Women Act. This legislative win will help make meaningful advancements in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases (CVD)—the leading killer of American women. Provisions include greater oversight of Food and Drug Administration requirements for reporting sex and race-based data about new medicines and devices and the expansion of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s WISEWOMAN screening program for low-income, uninsured and underinsured women.

Although we still have more work to do to achieve equity in health care and health status for women, this effort sets the stage to better identify and address women’s unique cardiovascular health needs. With more than one in three deaths among American women caused by CVD, we must continue to make strong efforts to ensure this measure is passed into law.

We commend the House for addressing women’s health needs and Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA) and Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) for their leadership and efforts to move the HEART for Women Act forward.

Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk!

Great news! The American Heart Association will be hosting a Heart Walk in Northfield this year! Join us on October 2nd at Northfield Middle School at 8am to raise awareness for a heart healthy lifestyle.

Northfield Heart Walk Event Information

When: Saturday, October 2, 2010

Time: 8:00am Registration, Activities and Kid Zone

9:30am Opening Ceremonies

10:00am 1 or 3 Mile Walk

Where: Northfield Middle School

2200 Division St. S.

Northfield, MN 55057

Sign up for a Heart Walk Team:

Contact Kristi O'Keefe or Sara Silvernail @ (952)846-8607 or (612)590-2454; kristi.okeefe@heart.org or sara.silvernail@heart.org and mention you are a You're the Cure advocate!

Help Us Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk:

This year, we will have an advocacy booth at the heart walk and will be collecting petitions to send lawmakers asking them to prevent obesity in Minnesota and nationwide.

Volunteer to help us collect petitions at the Northfield Heart Walk by contacting Rachel Callanan at Rachel.Callanan@heart.org

With your help, we will continue to make strides to ensure Northfield citizens, patrons, and children have a heart-healthy future! See you on October 2nd!

Tell Congress: No more delays on Child Nutrition

Last week, we were expecting the House of Representatives to vote on the Child Nutrition Act within 24-48 hours- but unfortunately, the vote was delayed. The good news, though, is that we still have a chance to get the Child Nutrition Act passed by the end of the month. It's up to us to let the House of Representatives know that further delays are not an option.

Tell your Representative to finish the work on the Child Nutrition Act NOW!

Passage of the bill would mean significant improvements to the school environment to help establish a foundation for a lifetime of healthy behaviors for our kids, including:

-Improving the nutritional standards of school meals.
-Removing junk food from cafeterias, snack shops, and vending machines.
-Establishing a framework to strengthen local wellness policies and include the community in the development and implementation of districts' physical activity and nutrition goals.

We can't afford to let this opportunity pass. The Senate has already passed the Child Nutrition Act, so the House of Representatives' vote is the final hurdle to clear in order to send the bill to President's desk.

Please send a quick message right now, urging your Representative to support the passage of this important bill this week!

Thank you for your help to push for healthier options for our kids at school!

Help AHA win $200,000 from American Express

We are thrilled to share that the American Heart Association has been selected to participate in the Members Project in the Health and Wellness category! This means we are eligible to win $200,000 from American Express.

Please share on your social media accounts as you see fit. We have until November 30, 2010 to generate votes.



Suggested Messages:

· We need your votes! The American Heart Association is a candidate for funding from American Express through Members Project®, a partnership between American Express and TakePart to help people everywhere support charitable organizations.

· We need your votes! The Amer Heart Assn is a candidate to receive $200,000 from the Members Project! Vote every week until November 30th!

· Only X days left to vote for the American Heart Association! Help us receive $200,000 from the Members Project®!

· Only X days left to vote for the American Heart Association! Help save lives by voting for us to receive $200,000 from the Members Project®!

· We still need your votes! The American Heart Association continues to be a candidate for funding from American Express through Members Project®, a partnership between American Express and TakePart to help people everywhere support charitable organizations.

· Vote for us to receive $200,000 from the Members Project®! The funding will help us better fulfill our mission, and it takes just a mouse-click each week to help us win this vital support. Vote now and vote often!

· Help us receive $200,000 in funding! If you haven’t already, all you have to do is join Members Project®, and cast a vote for us each week. After November 30th, Members Project will tally the votes and announce the winners for the voting round. We want to be a part of that list. Vote today and every week for the American Heart Association!

Please use the following links in your post:

To cast your votes, go to: http://www.takepart.com/membersproject/vote or use this shorten linked for your social media posts: http://bit.ly/9qqbqK

Minnesota Schools "Digging" Their Local Farmers This Week

Public News Service-MN


MINNEAPOLIS - From sporting bib overalls and "I Dig My Farmer" shirts, to corn-shucking contests, to hosting lunch with a local farmer, schools across Minnesota are celebrating Farm to School Week. In addition to teaching children about where their food comes from, Farm to School initiatives play an important role in kids' health, according to JoAnne Berkenkamp, program director for local foods with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP).

"For many students, obesity and diet-related health risks are a very substantial concern, so supporting those healthier eating habits is really critical. And we know it's important to reach kids early in life and to introduce them to a wide range of healthy food choices."

She says keeping the food dollar local also boosts local economies, and supports small and mid-sized farms.

More than 70 Minnesota school districts have adopted Farm to School initiatives, and more are expected to sign on this school year. Berkenkamp says parents can get involved by volunteering at their children's school cafeterias or school gardens, visiting farmer's markets, and reinforcing healthy eating habits at home by providing fresh, local foods.

She says school districts of any size or capacity can incorporate the program. Many smaller districts have started with something as simple as fresh apples.

"Apples are great, because they are a product that we know that is associated here with Minnesota agriculture. They're less perishable, and apples tend to be a little bit easier for schools to handle."

When Dover-Eyota Schools got involved with Farm to School three years ago, they began with apples and gradually added a range of locally-grown vegetables. Beginning this week, they will introduce local, free-range turkey, says Carrie Frank, food and nutrition director for the district.

"This excites me – the opportunity to buy local, to buy the freshest. I've been in schools now for 17 years, and I don't know when I've been more excited to be in the industry."

Frank calls Farm to School "a real community builder," as kids learn more about where their food comes from. One of the local farmers from whom she buys has children in the school district.

"The students are quite proud of it. I hear comments like, 'My mom grew this.' Or one child said, 'My grandfather and I picked this.'"

Last year, the high school agriculture class partnered with an area farmer to plant a small orchard on school grounds. Frank calls it a great learning tool - one that will, eventually, be another source of fresh food for the district.

** American Heart Association is coordinating with organizations across the state to strengthen Farm to School programs through our support of the Statewide Health Improvement Program. **


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