Ames Paints the Downtown Red

If you venture to downtown Ames during the month of February you might think you have entered a red light district! The lights lining the tops of the buildings will be all red starting the evening of Friday, February 3 in honor of the American Heart Association “Go Red for Women” Day and American Heart Month. “My grandmother and my father both died of heart attacks,” said Cindy Hicks, Executive Director of the Main Street Cultural District. “When people see our lights on in all red, I hope it reminds them how small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in the fight against heart disease.” Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in the United States, with more than 17 million deaths each year. That number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030. President Lyndon Baines Johnson was the first president to declare February as American Heart Month in 1964.