Diane Kink, Jo Anne Johnson to Chair largest Montgomery County Go Red for Women Luncheon in history

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – In an effort to continue to bring prevention, education and heart health awareness to the masses, the American Heart Association (AHA) is pleased to announce real estate moguls Diane Kink and Jo Anne Johnson from Keller Williams The Woodlands & Magnolia, will be joining the fight against heart disease as Co-Chairs of the 2016 Montgomery County Go Red for Women ® Luncheon.

Joining forces with the AHA, the largest and oldest organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke, Kink and Johnson aim to increase women’s awareness of their No.1 health threat – heart disease, while emphasizing prevention as the key to reducing death from heart disease and stroke.

The event, sponsored locally by Advanced Cardiovascular Care Center, and nationally by Macy’s, is slated for Friday, May 13, 2016 at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In addition to key messaging related to women’s heart health, CPR and AED education will play a major role at the luncheon.

Amy LeCrone, the wife of late Woodlands-area Orthodontist, Dr. Vance LeCrone who died in August 2014 after suffering a heart attack, will share her passion towards providing more education on CPR and AED awareness in the community.

“We are thrilled to have Amy as our Open Your Heart speaker. Amy’s strength in the time of loss continues to inspire us each and every day,” Kink said. “Her determination to single-handedly train Montgomery County in CPR and AED education is remarkable, and we are over the moon that she has agreed to help us push towards our goal of training more bystanders in life-saving CPR in our community.”

“We are wanting to paint the town red in promoting heart health for women in building a better future,” Johnson said. “We are honored and humbled to have Amy LeCrone as our Open Your Heart Speaker. Their family’s legacy is grounded in their philanthropic spirit. We are grateful to take their powerful message on the road in order to help others. No one can take care of your health for you to embrace the power of driving your own health!”

In Montgomery County, the bystander CPR rate is only 14.6 percent, while the national average is 39 percent. More than 326,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year. About 90 percent of those victims die, often because bystanders don’t know how to start CPR or they’re afraid they will do something wrong. Bystander CPR, if performed immediately, can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.

The AHA’s Friends & Family CPR Anytime Course teaches the lifesaving skills of adult Hands-Only CPR, Child CPR with breaths, adult and child AED use, infant CPR and relief of choking in an adult, child or infant.

ABC 13’s Katherine Whaley will also join the luncheon as the event emcee.

Prior to the luncheon, attendees are invited to bid on fabulous auction items, discover what shade of red they are at the Macy’s makeover booths, create fun, Go Red selfies with friends, and learn Hands-Only CPR from the Woodlands Volunteer Fire Department.

Sponsors to date include:


Presenting Sponsors - Keller Williams The Woodlands & Magnolia Diane Kink and Jo Anne Johnson

City Goes Red Sponsor - Advanced Cardiovascular Care Center

Heart of Gold Sponsors - Shirley and Ralph Alexander, Charter Title Company, Chicago Title, Mercedes Benz of The Woodlands

Live Red Sponsors: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, CHI St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands, Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, Houston Northwest Medical Center, Christen and Brad Kaufman, Market Street – The Woodlands, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, Strike, The Woodlands Preparatory School, Woodlands North Houston Heart Center, Woodlands Waterway Marriott

Love Red Sponsors – Bibbi Anderson and Lisa Stewart, Jill and Phil Barber, Benchmark Bank and Haute Hearts

Learn Red Sponsors - B+C Asset Management – Christi and Britt Stephenson, Donna Ellis, Robin Bennet and Laura Everson, Kim and Mike Bradley, Luanne Bozeman, Tuula Carnahan and Soly Lachterman, Bussell & Suns, LLC, Jeff Paul Custom Homes, Cherry Creek Mortgage Company, Coldwell Banker United Realtors, Consolidated Communications, Forest Park The Woodlands Funeral Home and Cemetery, Funday Monday Ladies, Green Bank, Jennifer Greger, Kelli Johnson, Stewart Title, Kara and Tim Teuscher, The Boatner Foundation, The McClung Group, Lauren and Jason Ellis, Sherry and Richard Lane, Carla and Keaton McDaniel/Edward Jones, Insperity Invitational, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Dr. Judith Ragsdale and Brenda Yeager

Media Sponsors: The Woodlands Villager (Houston Community Newspapers), KSBJ Radio, PKWY Magazine, Behind the Gates.

More women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. Unfortunately, heart disease is often hidden and misunderstood. Go Red for Women ® brings attention to the effects of heart disease and stroke. Heart disease is not just a man’s disease. Each year, 1 in 3 women die of heart disease and stroke. 80 percent of cardiac events can be prevented. Funds raised at the Go Red for Women ® luncheons fund research specifically geared towards women, education and legislative advocacy programs.

More than 275 women’s lives have been saved each day since Go Red for Women’s birth in 2004. Currently, some eight million women in the U.S. are living with heart disease, yet only one is six women believes that heart disease is a serious health threat. In fact, 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.

Tickets to the luncheon are $150 with tables starting at $1,500. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities are available at www.montgomerycountygored.heart.org. For more information, please contact Jessaca Fowler at Jessaca.Fowler@heart.org or 832-918-4013.