YWCA of Elgin honoring women leaders
STREAMWOOD -- Silver, cake, chandeliers and more than 430 people were present Thursday in celebration of area women's achievements at the 25th annual YWCA Elgin's Leader Luncheon at The Seville in Streamwood.
The silver anniversary featured changes including the addition of the new Leadership Award for Young Women, which was awarded to Portia Anderson, a senior at Streamwood High School. Anderson was chosen out of 23 applicants for her academic and leadership abilities. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship for each of the four years she attends Dominican University in River Forest, beginning this fall. Anderson will pursue a degree in pre-law.
SHAUNA BITTLE | Staff Photographer
"I am very grateful for the scholarship, and I would like to thank the YWCA for the opportunities they have provided for my future," Anderson said.
Anderson's grandmother, Olivia Anderson, said the event reminded her of how much society has changed. "They say it is a man's world, but it is really 50-50 now," she said.
Heart of the issue
This year's theme was the heart, and the keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Ackerman, associate professor of medicine, pediatrics and molecular pharmacology at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and expert in sudden death syndrome, provided five practical tips for keeping heart healthy:
First, quit smoking.
"The number one reason people give is that their doctor never told them to stop. Well, now you have been told," he said.
Second, eat right. People who eat fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables have healthier hearts. Taking a daily dose of fish oil also decreases the risk of heart disease by 30 percent.
Other tips include: Exercise 30 minutes a day, see a doctor if you notice pain in your left arm or faint for no reason, learn to use CPR and the automatic external defibrillator.
Implementing these practices can save lives, according to Ackerman.
"The life you save may be someone you love or may be your own," he said.