11th Annual Red Shoe Lunch

I founded the Red Shoe Lunch in 2010, a week after I was released from the hospital from my first cardiac episode... I was 37 years old. My mother died 10 years prior from heart disease... she was 46 years old when she died. My mother's battle with heart disease was short; she collapsed at work one day and then she spent the next few months undergoing two quintuple bypass surgeries. Just as we thought she was in the clear, she was celebrating the 4th of July, surrounded by family and friends, watching a Tyler Perry movie. She was laughing at the movie and a peanut she was eating became lodged in her throat. Even though the peanut passed quickly and family members were able to assist, her heart was too weak to handle the stress and she died. She was so full of life and even made her stitches burst after surgery from laughing so hard. My mother, Veronica would give anyone her last and she went above and beyond for anyone she knew; often grocery shopping for the elderly or taking them to the laundromat. The lady with the BIGGEST HEART lived with a heart that wasn't strong enough. 

My mother's mother died at 51 and her mother died in her late 50s. My mom was just trying to make it to her 50th birthday. When I realized that this could also be my fate, I decided to break the cycle. Every woman in my mother's family kept dying younger than their mother. Heart disease kills more women than all Cancers combined, yet little people know this. There are so many things we can do to live healthier lives, but too few are aware. 

For the past 11 years, The Red Shoe Lunch has not only been an event where people dawned their sexiest red shoes, but it's been a platform for me to share my story and help educate others. Our attendance is small and most who attend are friends of  friends, but to-date, we've raised over $19,000 for the American Heart Association. (https://www2.heart.org/site/TR;jsessionid=00000000.app30028a?px=11117524&fr_id=3930&pg=personal&NONCE_TOKEN=26AA7F69D9D774B0957F053FDCC14C4C)

Even after I began my crusade of awareness in 2010, I would once again find myself in trouble. In 2014 I had a T.I.A (mini stroke). I learned more about diet, exercise and knowing my numbers (cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, BMI, HDL, LDL, etc.) and I realized that so many of my friends had never received a screening. I never thought I would live longer than my mom, but here I am at 47 YEARS OLD and I just want to scream... "Momma, I made it!" 

Covid 19 has forced us to host this year's event virtually and in memory of my mother, and with the help of my friends, family and supporters like you, I want to start the Veronica Blount Memorial Foundation (VBMF). I want to help educate those in the communities with the least resources. My mother was undergoing her heart procedures at the same time as Talk Show host, David Letterman. Mr. Letterman returned to work fairly quickly and he made it look easy. My mother was younger and she never bounced back like the Talk Show Host. I remember thinking he must have access to better physicians. I remember wishing I was rich so I could get my mother better care; after all, she deserved it. In the end, I realized that better education and awareness could have saved my mother's life. I don't doubt that her medical team did everything they could to save her; it was just too late. Years of a poor diet, smoking and a lack of education and resources became the perfect storm that helped end her life. My mother had to take out a second mortgage on her home to cover living expenses while she was off from  work. My wages were garnished to pay for her funeral because while she was out sick, the company where she worked for over 20 years was sold to another company who didn't acknowledge her as an employee because she hadn't signed her new contract.... so there was no insurance money. 

I want to be in a position to provide financial assistance to those in need. I want to help those who can't afford to be "sick".  I want to host health screenings in the communities most in need; bringing the healthcare to them (barbershops, hair salons, community centers). If people have access to free health screenings, we may be able to save lives. We can teach people how to eat better understanding that many of the most vulnerable have income restrictions and can't afford to eat healthy. There is so much we can do and the time is now...after all... there's a reason I broke the cycle. I lived to help others!

Please join me in my campaign to raise $10,000 to officially launch the Veronica Blount Memorial Foundation! All proceeds will go towards our legal fees and start-up costs. All donors who give $50 or more will be considered Inaugural Donors and will receive an Inaugural Donor lapel pin. There are perks that come along with each level of giving including discounts to future events, acknowledgement at future events and access to a yearly budget summary so you can track our progress and success year-over-year. 

BRONZE | Donate $50 or more
SILVER | Donate $100 or more
GOLD | Donate $250 or more
PLATINUM | Donate $500 or more
DIAMOND | Donate $1,000 or more



GET YOUR LAPEL PIN! All donors who make donations in 2021 of $50 or more will be considered an Inaugural Donor!

All donors who donate before midnight on February 26, 2021 can sign-up for FREE tickets to our Giveaway! We have over 20 great prizes to give away as a thank you for your donations! The live drawing will take place on Feb. 27, 2021 on Facebook Live. 

Visit: www.redshoelunch.com to learn more about the Red Shoe Lunch & how to enter our FREE GIVEAWAYS! 

Visit: www.veronicablount.org for more information about VBMF

Thank you in advance for your support!

Love,

Veronica's Daughter xoxoxo