Liz Smih of Assurance to lead Chicago's 2018-19 Go Red For Women Campaign
The American Heart Association today announced that Liz Smith, president of Assurance, headquartered in Schaumburg, IL., will co-chair the Association's 2018-19 Chicago Go Red for Women campaign. Smith takes on the role with a personal goal to not only raise more awareness of heart disease risk among women, but to get employers more involved in cultivating healthier workplaces that support employee health and happiness.
Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association's national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer of women in the U.S., claiming the life of one woman every 80 seconds.
"After hearing story after story of women in my age group who look like me and have a similar lifestyle but were affected by heart disease, I knew this was something I had to get behind. It doesn't matter if you have a healthy lifestyle or not - heart disease can hit at any moment. And it presents itself differently in women than men.
"At Assurance, we have a goal to minimize risk and maximize health in the workplace - we walk, talk and breathe this day in and day out - and this aligns seamlessly with the AHA's mission," she said. "Assurance and AHA have a common interest in providing programs that better educate employers to create healthier workplaces, and I aim to maximize this in my position as chair for the Go Red for Women campaign."
Smith and Assurance have been involved with the AHA for three years. Like many people, Smith has a loved one who died prematurely of heart disease. "My aunt was in remission from cancer and her death underscores the importance of the AHA's research on how heart disease can strike while you are battling another disease," Smith said.
Chicago's Go Red for Women campaign is a year-round movement that includes the annual Go Red for Women Executive Luncheon and the Go Red Goes STEM event, a daylong event that aims to inspire and empower high school girls to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by considering careers in science, technology, engineering and math.
About Go Red For Women
Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association's national movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. Cardiovascular diseases in the U.S. kill approximately one woman every 80 seconds. The good news is that 80 percent of cardiac events may be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. Go Red for Women advocates for more research and swifter action for women's heart health.
About Assurance
Assurance is among the largest and most awarded independent insurance brokerages in the United States. A "Top 50" independent broker and repeated "Best Place to Work" winner, Assurance places coverage for all lines of business and personal insurance, employee benefits and retirement services. Visit Assurance at https://www.assuranceagency.com/.