Some 300 women dressed head-to-toe in red for the fourth annual Miami-Dade Go Red for Women luncheon benefiting the American Heart Association on Friday at the Intercontinental Hotel Miami. Comprised of an interactive health fair—branded the Go Red Boutique Village—and a sit-down lunch with educational presentations, the event aimed to put a more active spin on the the typical ladies' luncheon.
"Our goal was to create a special energy for this event—an 'anti-luncheon' luncheon, if you will," said Tara Solomon, the event's co-chair with her Tara Ink co-founder Nick D'Annunzio.
Go Red for Women Miami-Dade event coordinator Brooke Gonzalez worked with Dynamic Destinations to convert the property's Chopin Ballroom into the Go Red Boutique Village for the first half of the day's activities. The ballroom was divided into three spaces—Learn Red, Love Red, and Look Red—each highlighting a different activity, product, or demonstration. "Unlike a traditional health fair, this is more than uniform tables and brochure collecting. We introduced entertainment and decor to make the atmosphere more party-like," Gonzalez said.
Activities included cooking demos, blood pressure screenings, samplings of dark chocolate and ionized water, and hand, neck, and shoulder massages, all of which are said to fight cardiovascular disease.
The hotel's executive chef, Alexander Feher, created a heart-healthy three-course meal of soup, seared salmon with fresh vegetables, and a light mango tart. Extra virgin olive oil was used in lieu of butter in each course, and the meal was accompanied by red wine—known to be rich in antioxidants—provided by Barefoot Wines.
The red color scheme continued into the adjacent ballroom, outfitted with red linens, flowers, and chair covers for the sit-down luncheon. Deco Drive's Louis Aguirre served as M.C. for the event, which included presentations from heart disease survivors, tango and salsa dance performances, and background music from DJ Elaine Lancaster.
