The first week of February, SCAC (Student Community Action Council) hosted their annual Love Grams sale, aimed at celebrating another Valentine’s Day of love and joy. While students and faculty enjoyed their candy bags and incredible serenades, the event served a purpose beyond festive treats. Participation in the sale was not only for a well-loved recipient, but contributed to a larger mission: proceeds were donated to The Heart Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of heart disease, promoting early detection, and supporting innovative heart-disease research.

To learn more about the organization, the Flintridge Press spoke with Hannah Drake Litman, The Heart Foundation’s digital content manager who joined the organization in 2019. Litman oversees all social media content, conducts interviews, connects with the public, and serves as the foundation’s front-facing representative. She emphasizes how each interaction, from social media campaigns to in-person events, is aimed at raising awareness and motivating people to take action for heart health.

The non-profit focuses on three key areas. First, community awarness—often, health concerns like cardiovascular disease can appear abstract, especially to younger audiences. Through events such as their annual Galpin Motors Golf Classic, holiday fundraisers, galas, and concerts, the Heart Foundation works to make heart health tangible. Second, fitness and safety programs, including the CPR & AED certification courses and Sweat Cycle Rides, promote active lifestyles. These programs directly address bystander intervention in cardiac emergencies which can improve survival rates. Third, the foundation supports Dr. P.K. Shah, brilliant researcher and world-renowned cardiologist at the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, in his pioneering research on atherosclerosis, plaque reversal, and vaccine development. 

The Heart Foundation was inspired by Steve S. Cohen, a young, active, and seemingly healthy father and husband who suffered a sudden heart attack while playing his weekly basketball game with friends. His story is a stark reminder that cardiovascular disease does not discriminate based on age or apparent health. Litman highlights how Cohen’s experience challenges stereotypes, urging communities to recognize the broader risk of heart disease. She describes, “Heart disease does not look any one way. It is the leading cause of death in the U.S., but 80% of cardiovascular diseases are preventable through lifestyle changes.”

Looking towards the future, Litman and the rest of her team simply hope to keep going—expanding, supporting research that saves lives, and honoring Steve S. Cohen’s legacy. She describes their approach as the “past, present, and future”, where the foundation honors the past by continuing Cohen’s legacy and continues to be fueled by his life and death. Someday, they aim to eradicate cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

Litman explains how the foundation’s mantra, “you’re never too young, and it’s never too late”, is an empowering mindset and filled with dual meaning: you’re never too young—or too old—to be affected by heart disease, but it’s also never too early—or late—to start living a heart healthier lifestyle. Through events like SCAC’s Love Grams sale, students and faculty contributed to a legacy that combines awareness, action, and hope: each candy bag, note, and serenade came together as part of a nationwide effort to combat heart disease.