WS Chronicle

(Above: Photos by Charles E. Leftwich Jr.– The Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. (top above) sponsored a Go Red for Women event on Friday, Feb.6  at St. Paul United Methodist Church.)

“Life is just a minute, only sixty seconds in it,” as Dr. Benjamin E. Mays reminded us, and more than 400 participants used it to set another Guinness World Record for Red HEARRT (Help Educate And Reduce Risk Today) on Thursday, Feb.  5 at the Gateway YWCA.

The participants’ record was for the most people simultaneously doing sit-ups for one minute. This is the second record the organization has set in as many years. The first record set in 2013 was for the most participants doing Zumba.

Red H.E.A.R.R.T., Mayor Allen Joines and 1,121 Winston-Salem Forsyth County fourth- and fifth-graders set this record on Go Red Day in 2013.

The participants in the most recent event came from all parts of the local community – different Zumba clubs, exercise classes, local social and civic organizations, Salem College and especially Winston-Salem State University athletes (football, men’s and women’s basketball, tennis, volleyball and cheerleaders).

Buccaneer Fans and Hospital held the record of 319 people until Thursday, Feb. 5, 2015.  This is when Red H.E.A.R.R.T., Mayor Joines and 422 attempted to break this record.  And, it has been reported that 414 Winston-Salem/Forsyth County participants completed the contest, thus breaking the record.

Now, the documentation is being sent to Guinness World Record officials.

Cheryl Lindsay, the founder of Red HEARRT, said that the organization is excitedly waiting to hear that the W-S/FC community is back in the Official Guinness World Record again.

“I am honored to be able to partner with such a generous  and compassionate community and community partners to bring heart health awareness to Winston-Salem and surrounding areas in memory of my mother,” Lindsay said.  “If I can save a life by educating others on their heart health numbers or by urging them to Get Moving, then our works will have made a difference!”

Lindsay stressed the importance of having a healthy heart.

“I am excited the organization has been able to achieve another world record – not for the sake of just setting a record – but to bring attention to the risk and importance of heart health, not just for women but for everyone.

“We had people of all ages, ethnicities and gender who came out today to exercise in over an hour of Zumba and following up with a strenuous minute of doing sit-ups.

“I want to bring everyone’s attention to heart health in memory of my mother, Gail Lindsay, who lost her dear life to this awful disease.

:For the last five years, I have brought different programs to our community during the local American Heart Association (AHA) celebration of Go Red for Women. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, and particularly in our African-American community, we need to elevate the importance of exercise and diet to battle this dreadful disease. ”

According to the AHA, heart disease is the number one killer of women. The disease kills more women that all forms of cancer combined.

The national Go Red campaign is designed to bring the attention to women of what has been considered mostly a disease that affects.

The organization’s website boasts that prior to the kick-off of the program 10 years ago, heart disease killed more women than men. With the education, support and research of the movement, 34 percent fewer women now die from heart disease.

The statistics for weight loss, lowered cholesterol, lowered smoking, and increased exercise show phenomenal results.

For additional information, visit the websites of Red HEARRT (redhearrt.com) and Go Red (goredforwomen.org).