I'll go into further detail on that in a future post, but I wanted to highlight some of the experiences I've been fortunate enough to have as Mrs. Iowa International with the American Heart Association.
Go Red for Women Luncheon - Sioux City
As the new titleholder for Iowa, one of the first things I did was research opportunities to serve with AHA. It was November 2014 and the Go Red for Women Luncheon in Sioux City was just a few weeks away!
Sioux City is nearly 100 miles from my hometown of Spencer, but it is the closest larger city with AHA events. I was so fortunate to get in contact with Linda Wadedo Jochims, the events director, who welcomed me so graciously to the event. It was one of my very first official Mrs. Iowa appearances (I have to admit, I was nervous--I probably drove my husband nuts fidgeting with my crown as much as I did).
Linda was so welcoming and even introduced me to the event attendees. I look forward to working with her again in the future!
National Wear Red Day
National Wear Red Day was February 6, 2015. I helped facilitate an event at work encouraging co-workers to wear red. A healthy breakfast was served (recipes were made available to take) and heart health tips were posted around the break room.
Women, Wine & Wellness - Spencer
Also in February, I partnered with Spencer Municipal Hospital to present Women, Wine & Wellness. This was so much fun! Attendees were treated to heart healthy cooking demonstrations (the samples were delicious!), a fun jingle performed by the hospital staff about the signs of a heart attack, a glass of red wine and a few songs by yours truly. I also had the opportunity to share my heart story publicly.
Jump Rope for Heart - Spencer
Did you know that Spencer Elementary School's Jump Rope for Heart is one of the biggest fundraisers of it's kind, both in terms of funds raised and student participation? That was one of the exciting facts I learned at the event on Tuesday, March 24. For an hour and a half, I jumped rope with 150 kids, grades 4-6. I met some students who were jumping to honor others and just had a blast keeping up with them! In the end, the students had raised over $19,000 for the American Heart Association! Even when I couldn't walk the next day (my calves were so sore!), I knew it was worth it. Awesome job, Spencer students!
Quad Cities Heart Ball - Davenport
I traveled across the state of Iowa to Davenport to attend the Quad Cities Heart Ball. Set at the beautiful Outing Club, the Heart Ball is a major fundraiser for the Eastern Iowa Chapter. I helped to greet guests, passed out roses to donors and general help where needed. The event was both beautiful and successful--it's really neat to see all of the people who are passionate about heart health, funding and research.
If you would like to get involved with the American Heart Association, please check out www.heart.org and find your local branch.
Be the Change. Be the Light. #ServeLoveVolunteer
Cheers!
Jill Brees Barr
Mrs. Iowa International 2015
