NATIONAL RED DRESS COLLECTION TO VISIT TUPELO, JAN. 14-15

TUPELO, Miss.— Only about one-third of women know that heart disease is their biggest health threat. North Mississippi Medical Center and BancorpSouth hope to change that.

The National Red Dress Collection will visit Tupelo Jan. 14-15 for the first Spirit of Women Getaway, a weekend full of fun and informative events for area women. The Red Dress is the national symbol for women and heart disease awareness, linking a woman’s focus on her “outer self” to the need to also focus on her “inner self,” especially her heart. The campaign’s message is “heart disease doesn’t care what you wear.”

The Red Dress Collection of 19 red dresses from America’s most prestigious designers debuted in February 2004. On display in Tupelo will be dresses by Carmen Marc Valva, Esteban Cortazar, Luca Luca and Nicole Miller. NMMC will give each attendee a complimentary Red Dress pin. The Red Dress project is the centerpiece of “The Heart Truth,” an awareness campaign sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Tupelo will also host the Mississippi Red Dress, a Hamilton Kennedy creation by Mississippi designer Donna Kennedy Sones. Sones’ red dress is a sleeveless, floor-length gown topped by a black and red jacket. Her collections are sold in specialty stores like Takashimaya in New York, Gump’s in San Francisco and in Mississippi at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi.

For the keynote address Jan. 15, NMMC cardiologist Barry Bertolet, M.D., will present “The Heart Truth for Women” at 11 a.m. A healthy cooking demonstration by Mac McAllister, general manager of Tupelo Country Club and a registered dietitian, will follow at 1 p.m.

The weekend will also feature a Friday evening concert by country recording artist Kathy Mattea, fashion shows, and scores of fun and informative booths and educational sessions. Hours are 6-9 p.m. Jan. 14 and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 15.

Tickets are $25 for the weekend or $15 for Saturday only. Tickets are available at the BancorpSouth Center Box Office and all Ticket King locations, charge by phone at 841-6528 or online at www.bancorpsouthcenter.com . Tickets are also available at North Mississippi Medical Center Women’s Hospital and NMMC Wellness Center in Tupelo. For more information, call 1-800-THE DESK (1-800-843-3375).

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