ROTTERDAM Skiers stay warm, focused at Heart Assn. benefit marathon 30 people make up teams for annual event at Maple Ski RidgeBY MICHAEL GOOT Gazette Reporter
Dressing in layers, drinking energy drinks and chatting with friends were just some of the tips on how to stay focused to ski for nearly 24 hours. Temperatures in the mid-20s didn’t deter a hardcore group of 30 people from participating in the Ridge Goes Red event at Maple Ski Ridge. The event raised $2,300 for the American Heart Association. People started skiing at 11 a.m. on Saturday and continued until 11 a.m. on Sunday with various breaks scattered throughout. The rule was that at least one member of a team had to be on the slopes at any given time — except for the scheduled trail maintenance from 3 to 4 a.m. This is the sixth year for the event, which raises money for research and educates women about the disease. “It’s the number one killer of women. A woman dies every minute of heart disease,” said Kathy McCarthy, spokeswoman for the American Heart Association. In 2006, more than 430,000 women died from cardiovascular disease, according to the AHA Web site. Some symptoms of heart disease are pain in the chest, shortness of breath, dizziness and nausea. However, McCarthy said, 64 percent of women have no prior symptoms before having a heart attack. ...........>>>>................>>>>.......................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00701&AppName=1