PORT ANGELES — The Red, Set, Go! Heart Luncheon raised a record $111,000, exceeding last year’s record-breaking total by $17,000, according to the Olympic Medical Center Foundation’s executive director.
The foundation’s Friday luncheon was presented by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe at the Vern Burton Community Center.
The money raised will go toward an X-Ray unit for Olympic Medical Center’s leadless pacemaker program, which uses devices that are 93 percent smaller than conventional pacemakers, according to Bruce Skinner, foundation executive director.
That means OMC Cardiac Rhythm Management Program patients will no longer need to travel out of town for this procedure, Skinner said.
“We were able to raise money for something that will save lives,” said event chair Karen Rogers. “Once again, people in this community were extremely generous during these challenging times.”
Speakers at the event included local cardiologist Dr. Kara Urnes; Dr. Joshua Jones, chief physician officer at OMC; and Dr. John Mignone from Swedish Medical Center. Julie Hatch of Port Angeles presented the survivor story.
“Each year, attendees look forward to learning from women like Julie who have been impacted by their heart health. It is through their stories that we can better support our family and friends,” Skinner said.
Kate McDermott, a 2017 James Beard Award finalist and the author of several cookbooks, also delivered a presentation on “Life’s Lessons Learned From Baking Pie.”
“The purpose of our event is to inspire women to learn how to improve their heart health. Many women are surprised to learn that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women,” Rogers said.
“We are still receiving donations,” Skinner said. “People interested in contributing can contact our office at 360-417-7144.”
