The Olympic Medical Center Foundation will present the ninth annual Red, Set, Go! Heart Luncheon presented by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 26, at Vern Burton Community Center, 308 E. Fourth St. in Port Angeles.

Persons interested in sponsoring or attending the event — “Happy Heart … Happy Life” — can contact the foundation office at 417-7144. Individual tickets are $55.

“We encourage you to attend this wonderful event,” said committee chairman Karen Rogers. “We have sold a record amount of sponsorships and therefore, 100 percent of all money raised at the luncheon will go toward local cardiac service care. To date we have raised over $200,000.”

Special honoree at the event will be Kim Wakefield who will deliver the “survivor” story. Also speaking on heart health education will be Dr. Kara Urnes from Olympic Medical Heart Center and Dr. Glenn Barnhart from Swedish Medical Center.

Education awareness

In 2008, the OMC Foundation launched a three-year campaign to raise awareness about the critical issue of heart health for women on the Olympic Peninsula. The campaign was so successful that the foundation decided to host an annual event.

The educational lunch promotes that the key to eradicating this disease is education.

“The purpose of our event is to inspire women to become more educated to improve their heart health. Many women are surprised to learn that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women,” said Urnes.

In the first eight years, the event has raised money to benefit patients through the Olympic Medical Center’s cardiac program and save lives, according to OMC officials. Proceeds from the events also have allowed the foundation to partner with local agencies to launch a community-wide Automated External Defibrillator program.

All proceeds raised at the educational luncheon once again will benefit local patients with heart disease issues.

“We invite all the women in our community to join us at our inspiring luncheon,” said Rogers.