Wear Red Day 2011: 'Go red for women,' say Betty White, Jennie Garth and more

Friday, Feb. 4 is national Wear Red Day, which is an awareness day to get the word out about heart disease and the fight against it. People are encouraged by the promotion to wear red, tell the women in their lives about the dangers of heart disease and to donate to the American Heart Association at the Wear Red site.

You don't just have to straight-up donate, either. There are lots of things you can purchase on Shop Heart.org, with the money going towards the foundation and research. We particularly like the charm bracelet and the red leather journal.

The story behind of the red dress/color is this:


In 2003, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), the American Heart Association and other organizations committed to women's health joined together to raise awareness of women and heart disease. The NHLBI introduced the red dress as a national symbol for women and heart disease awareness and the American Heart Association adopted this symbol to create synergy among all organizations committed to fighting this cause.

Heart disease has long been thought of as solely a man's problem, but that is not the case. It's the no. 1 killer of women in the United States. So tell a woman you love today about to take the Go Red for Women Heart Check-up today.