CINCINNATI — Something unusual happened Tuesday at Elder High School. Rather than wear the typical uniform that includes a collared shirt (in the preferred color of purple), about half the students were boasting red hoodies, t-shirts and sweatshirts.
They paid a few bucks to make that happen, and in the process, supported women's heart health.
Lauren Re, a sophomore at neighboring Seton High School, is the reason students were wearing red. Re is a "Teen of Impact" for the American Heart Association, heading up a team of about 30 or so teenagers all tasked with raising money and awareness for women's heart health and risks.
Learn more about her effort here:
In total, she intends to raise $80,000 by April. A tall task, but one she says she will accomplish. Why would she do this?
"It was really after I heard the statistic that one out of three women die from cardiovascular disease," Re said. "I have six sisters, and go to an all-girls school, and I'm surrounded by girls, and everyone has a heart, so it just seemed like something I wanted to help with."
She is planning multiple fundraisers through the next month and opportunities to teach others how to perform chest compressions properly.
One teen on her fundraising team is AJ Meyer, a sophomore at Elder High School. He's already met his goal of raising $1,000 for Re's team. And, of course, was sporting a red shirt Tuesday. He joined the cause because of his loved ones.
"A lot of my family and a lot of people I know struggle with heart disease and my grandma and it's just a big deal to help out as many people as I can," Meyer said.
Re is one of five teens of impact raising money and awareness as a part of the "Go Red for Women" campaign. Learn more about her campaign here.
