FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Service Organization Known for Wearing Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day
New Haven, Connecticut, January 5, 2017
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American,
college-educated women, has committed to raising awareness of heart disease and stroke by designating every February
as Heart Awareness Month.
The signature colors on the sorority crest are salmon pink and apple green but, for Heart Health Day, members of the
Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter and the Xi Omicron Chapter, serving the Greater New Haven community, will trade their
adored pink for the color red to support the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women® Movement. Under
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Launching New Dimensions of Service , the sorority’s current programmatic theme, Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day
is expected to make a significant impact across communities, internationally, as each chapter of the sorority participates
in its own effort to combat heart disease and stroke.
The Pink Goes Red “Stroll Battle” for stroke and heart disease awareness will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2017 from
12:00 to 3:00 PM at the Connecticut Post Mall, 1201 Boston Post Road in Milford, CT. Members will distribute hearthealthy items and information, and provide kid-friendly activities. The event includes a stroll, a long-standing tradition of
Black Greek-lettered organizations usually done at parties or step shows involving a choreographed, moving line of an
organization’s members, and a friendly stroll competition between the graduate (Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter) and
undergraduate (Xi Omicron Chapter) members. The “Stroll Battle” also encourages the community to participate in
physical activity, an essential component of a heart-healthy lifestyle, through line dancing. Music will be provided by the
Herman Ham Group.
Free blood pressure screenings will be provided by the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center, the first community healthcare
center in Connecticut serving patients throughout the Greater New Haven and Lower Naugatuck Valley areas.
“We often hear the slogan ‘follow your heart’. But every 39 seconds an adult dies from heart attack, stroke, or other
cardiovascular disease. There is more than one way to break a heart. This Valentine’s Day, make sure your heart is
healthy!,” said Dr. Douglas Bruce, Chief Medical Officer of the Cornell Scott-Hill Health Center.
This is the second year the Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter has partnered with the Connecticut Post Mall for Pink Goes Red
for Heart Health Day. Danielle Riess, Marketing Manager for the Connecticut Post Mall said, “We're happy to partner with
Theta Epsilon Omega again this year to raise awareness about heart disease in the local community. Last year's event was
a fun and engaging way to educate shoppers about such a deadly disease.”
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard
University in Washington, DC in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-lettered organization established by African-American, college-educated
women. Alpha Kappa Alpha is comprised of more than 265,000 members in approximately 983 graduate and undergraduate chapters in
the United States, Bahamas, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Germany, South Korea, Bermuda, Japan, Canada, the continent of South Africa, and
the Middle East. Led by International President Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, Alpha Kappa Alpha is often hailed as “America’s premier
Greek-lettered organization for African-American women.” For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, visit
www.aka1908.com. For more information about Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter and Xi Omicron Chapter, visit www.akanewhaven.org.
For more information, please contact:
Khalilah L. Brown-Dean, President
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Theta Epsilon Omega Chapter
P.O. Box 8298
New Haven, Connecticut 06530
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 203-927-0899
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