By Sarah Fedele

Teens today are busy. I mean, really busy. I forget how busy teens are these days. Which makes you think–how can they fit anything else into their schedules? Meet Hollie Hancock and Emily Dillow, juniors from Glenn High School in Kernersville.

Hollie, age 16–plays Varsity Tennis and Varsity Lacrosse with Glenn High, as well as Club Lacrosse. She is a member of the Psychology Club; works part-time at Dairy-O, is a part of her youth group, and is a junior staffer at the Wilderness Trail during summer.

Emily, age 17–is a Varsity Cheerleader and Varsity Soccer player for Glenn High. She is a member of the Key club, National Art Honor Society, National Honor Society, No-bacco Club (one of my favorites), and Crosby Scholars.

With all of their extra-curricular activities and actual school classes, you would think these ladies would not want to take on another task. However, they have a passion to focus on healthy behaviors, thus, Go Red Juniors was formed.

Emily and Hollie are proud to be the co-chairs for the Go Red Juniors at Glenn High this year. This culminated into accepting the inaugural award for their innovative efforts from the American Heart Association at the Greater Guilford Go Red For Women Educational Expo and Luncheon in May 2016.

Of course, behind great young women, stand even greater women. Cheryl Hancock and Karen Timbrook-Dillow are their moms.

Go Red For Women is the American Heart Association’s year-round initiative focused on helping women fight and prevent heart disease, the number one killer of women in the United States. We actually lose one in every three women to heart disease. Cheryl Hancock was involved with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement and chaired the Go Red initiative in the Triad for 2014-2015.

When Cheryl looks at the one in three statistics, it becomes personal. Between herself, Hollie, and her younger daughter, Anna Grace, these are statistics that Cheryl will not let stand. She shares with me, “I worked with Principal Craddock and together we made it happen. I knew that if we did not hit this age group with the information they needed to make healthy choices now and in the future, we were not going to be able to stop heart disease from taking so many amazing young women from our lives.”

Karen Timbrook-Dillow joined in the fight sharing, “This is an opportunity to keep our teens on a healthy track and show the community how motivated the Glenn High School students are.”

The Glenn High Go Red Juniors is the first of its kind. In its second year, the club doubled their membership with 23 teens actively participating.

The word is spreading. Karen and Cheryl have spoke with Salem Academy and East Forsyth about Go Red Junior Clubs spreading throughout Forsyth County. The American Heart Association recognized the Glenn High Go Red Juniors with the Innovation Award as the word has started to spread nationally through AHA affiliates. In the future, Go Red Juniors Clubs could be popping up in high schools around the country.

Throughout the year, the Glenn High Go Red Juniors hold a Go Red basketball game in February, volunteer at the Guilford Go Red Luncheon, volunteer at the Heart Ball, and share heart healthy information and opportunities with their classmates. The planning continues throughout the summer, as Hollie and Emily continue to support a 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament with C. LaRue Hoops Academy September 10, 2016; a Powder Puff Flag Football Tournament; and a Trunk or Treat event this fall.

Hollie and Emily shared with me that the basketball game was their favorite activity. The entire school and surrounding community learned more about preventing heart disease. The teens decorated the gym, selling 243 hearts which were hung in the gym in memory of loved ones. Thumper, the heart mascot, made a showing on the court.

“I have so much fun with Go Red Juniors,” shares Hollie. “It is a great way to meet new people, learn to live a healthier life in a fun way, and also hang out with your friends.”

When I asked Emily why she thought the Go Red Juniors was important for her to fit into that busy schedule, she shared, “I am pretty active and healthy now, but I want to be able to maintain it my whole life. I want to be a good influence for my three brothers and little sister. I want to be a good example for my own kids one day. We would be in a good place if we can grow up to be like our moms.” My eyes almost started to water with that one.

The Go Red Junior Club at Glenn High School is well on its way toward a goal of eliminating the 80% of preventable heart disease by reaching teens in high school, having them care about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and care about setting good examples as they go older. All while having fun!