Women and heart disease info night next week

By Rob Vogt

It will be an evening of information for women on their heart and on how to stay healthy.
The second annual Women and Heart Disease Information Night takes place next Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the Claresholm Social Centre from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Organizer Mary Holgate will start the evening at 6 p.m., sharing her story of the day she had her heart attack.
She will talk about the signs and symptoms, and life afterwards.
Holgate will also discuss the health issues since then, that have affected other organs such as the kidneys and pancreas.
“There’s all these other things involved after you have a heart attack,” Holgate said.
She added the symptoms are not the same for men and women.
Once Holgate has completed her talk, there will be dinner, followed by a series of speakers.
Lise LeMoine will lead everyone in chair yoga, and Amy Detmers will talk about fitness, losing weight, and how that changed her life.
Elaine Schow, who spoke at last year’s inaugural information night, is back to talk about mental health, while Jaquie Korethoski will share her story of having a stroke.
Denise Spencer, recreation manager for the Town of Claresholm, will talk about recreation programs in Claresholm
Representatives of the Claresholm Fire Department emergency services will discuss how important the first few minutes are to get to the hospital when having a heart attack.
There is also a raffle for two nights at Prairie Rose Cottage near Orton, east of Fort Macleod. Tickets are $10 apiece but only 500 are available.
All proceeds from the evening, and the raffle, will go to the Claresholm and District Health Foundation.
Holgate invites everyone to come out to the event.
“All women should be aware of our health and our heart,” she said. “Too many women die of heart attacks when they shouldn’t have had to.”
Tickets for the Women and Heart Disease Information Night are $20 each, which includes dinner and the speakers.
They are available from Mary Holgate at 1-250-688-1580 or from the Claresholm Social Centre from Monday to Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., or after hours, by contacting Marian Rooney at 1-587-998-0624.