More than two dozen, most dressed in red, committed or recommitted themselves to promoting heart disease prevention.
The women, all guests of Greenwood Leflore Hospital, met for lunch and a program Friday in a hospital conference room.
Similar activities took place across Mississippi and the United States. Friday was national Wear Red Day, sponsored by the American Heart Association.
A slogan of "Go Red for Women" brought attention to heart disease as the leading cause of death for women and inspired women to take charge of their heart health.
Lora Evans, the hospital's managed care director, and Linda Suttons, assistant managed care director, asked the women to learn about heart-disease risks and prevention so they would become better equipped to prevent it.
Among those present were two former presidents of the Greenwood City Council, Arance Williamson and Sheriel Perkins; Leflore County Circuit Court Judge Betty Sanders; Gladys Flaggs, a member of the hospital board; Itta Bena Mayor Thelma Collins; and Cruger Mayor Mary Ajoku.
Evans asked the group to use influence as individuals so that other will learn about risks factors and prevention.
Among women in the Delta, the risk of dying of a heart attack is greater than it is for women in most of the rest of the country, she said.
Women - caregivers, caretakers, chauffeurs, nurses - have others who depend on them. "Because of who we are and because of what we do,we have to take care of ourselves," Evans said. "Take that information out into the community."
Among events at the luncheon was a performance by the Bankston Elementary show choir, Pizzazz, which sang "Put a Little Love in Your Heart." Three members of the choir, Macey Mooneyham, Ashley Griffin and Hannah Epps, sang "To the Beat of My Heart."
