48 million women in the US are at risk or living with heart disease, the leading cause of death in women. That is why Burlington Stores, a national off-price retailer, is proud to announce its seventh annual partnership with WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease. Over the past six years, Burlington has raised nearly $10 million for the organization to help further its mission of educating and advocating for women with or at risk of heart disease. This year’s campaign, which kicked off in all Burlington stores nationwide on February 1 timed to observe American Heart Month— will continue through March 31, allowing customers the opportunity to donate $1 or more at checkout to support WomenHeart in an effort to help #KnockOutHeartDisease in women.
To help spread the word about the campaign, Burlington and WomenHeart have teamed up with Multi-Platinum Recording Artist, Award Winning Actress and New York Times Best-Selling Author Vanessa Williams, as well as her daughter, Jillian Hervey of Electro-Soul duo, LION BABE. This powerhouse mother-daughter duo will help raise awareness and educate women nationwide about the importance of their heart health, as heart disease in women is more fatal than all cancers combined.
Today, Vanessa and Jillian will appear at Burlington’s flagship location in New York City for their own heart health screenings and to share how heart disease has impacted their family. Vanessa is no stranger to heart disease, having lost both grandmothers to the illness; one at the young age of 28. Vanessa’s parents made a conscious effort to change their heart health history, and Vanessa has carried on this tradition with Jillian and all her children by cooking healthy foods, staying active, and maintaining yearly check-ups.
With one in four women dying from the disease, the first step in knocking out heart disease is to know one’s health numbers. Burlington customers will have the chance to get a free heart health screening today, February 6 as well as on March 20 at 50 select Burlington store locations nationwide. This screening will allow women to have their blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol, and BMI checked by a certified health professional and receive bilingual (English/Spanish) women’s heart health information and tips for living heart healthy. To encourage women to participate in one of the free heart screenings, Burlington will donate $5, up to $25,000, to WomenHeart for each in-store screening. To find a screening near you, visit www.BurlingtonStores.com/HeartHealth.
“Heart disease touches the lives of so many women, as it has touched mine, and I’m honored to join Burlington and WomenHeart’s #KnockOutHeartDisease campaign to help educate women on the importance of their heart health,” said Vanessa Williams. “I encourage everyone to get their heart health screening, since there is power in knowing your numbers.”
“My mom has always emphasized the importance of heart health, so I’m excited to team up with Burlington and WomenHeart to educate young girls and women on the importance of heart health at any age,” said Jillian Hervey.
“Giving back is part of our corporate culture and as a caring company, we are pleased to celebrate our seventh annual partnership with WomenHeart, as heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Having already raised nearly $10 million for the organization over the past six years, we are committed to furthering its mission to educate women on the importance of their heart health,” said President, CEO and Chairman of Burlington Stores, Tom Kingsbury.
“WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease is the leading voice for the 48 million women living with or at risk of heart disease. Every woman is at risk of heart disease, which is why it is so critical for women to have access to resources and information and free heart health screenings so that they can be educated about their number one health risk,” said Mary McGowan, WomenHeart CEO. “This is why WomenHeart is so grateful for our partnership with Burlington stores. Our seven-year partnership has raised nearly $10 million and helped save women’s lives.”
The funds raised throughout the partnership support services for women living with heart disease in communities throughout the country. These funds have also enabled the organization to continue to support and educate Hispanic women—a high risk population for heart disease—through its Para la Mujer Hispana initiative and to help further the organization’s National Hospital Alliance, reaching women recently diagnosed with heart disease in communities nationwide, providing them with critical life-saving resources and connecting them with local support groups.
