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La Collection winner joins forces
with The Heart Truth campaign

Patrice Soku will design a Red Dress for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Québec’s spokesperson, Véronic DiCaire

July 22, 2009

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La Collection winner joins forces with The Heart Truth campaign

Patrice Soku will design a Red Dress for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Québec’s spokesperson, Véronic DiCaire


Pdf of release

July 22, 2009, MONTREAL – Patrice Soku, winner of the show La Collection 2009, today announced he will lend his design talents to The Heart Truth campaign by designing a Red Dress for Québec singer and comedian Véronic DiCaire, to be featured in the 2010 Heart Truth Fashion Show.

“The fight against heart disease is a cause that is very important to me”, says Patrice Soku, fashion designer. “Women need to be aware that heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death for Canadian women and that it’s within their power to protect their heart health.”

Patrice out-designed nine of Québec’s most talented up-and-coming designers on the TV series La Collection, a fashion design competition which attracted nearly one million viewers per episode.

“We are very pleased that Patrice has pledged to lend his talents to benefit the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s The Heart Truth campaign”, says Jean Noël, President and CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Québec. “It is a pleasure for us to showcase the skills of well-known and up-and-coming Quebec designers during the Heart Truth Fashion Show.”

The Heart Truth Fashion Show is the signature event of The Heart Truth campaign, a national public health initiative launched in 2008 by the Heart and Stroke Foundation to raise awareness that heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death for Canadian women.1

The Heart Truth Fashion Show features Canadian celebrities wearing red dresses designed by well known Canadian designers. Montreal-based designers involved in past fashion shows include Marie St. Pierre, Andy Thê Anh and Eugenia.

“I’m particularly delighted to be designing a dress for Veronic DiCaire, the longstanding spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Québec, and a heart disease survivor herself” added Patrice.

People believe that heart disease is a “man’s disease”; in fact, women are more likely than men to die of a heart attack or stroke. Women can significantly reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke, by as much as 80 per cent, by making simple lifestyle changes2. The Heart Truth campaign educates women about identifying their risks and warning signs of heart disease and stroke and provides women with the tools they need to take charge of their heart health.


About The Heart Truth campaign
While one in three Canadian women die of heart disease and stroke, most don't know that it's their most serious health concern.2 The Heart Truth campaign educates women about identifying their risks and warning signs of heart disease and stroke. The Heart Truth provides women with the tools they need to take charge of their heart health. The campaign is especially relevant for women 40 to 60 years old, whose risk increases as they age.

The Heart Truth campaign gratefully acknowledges the support of founding sponsor, Becel, and contributing sponsors Dempster's, Ocean Spray, Pfizer, Rogers Consumer Publishing, Shoppers Drug Mart and the Providence Heart + Lung Institute at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver without whom the program would not be possible.

About the Heart and Stroke Foundation
The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.

For more information, please visit www.thehearttruth.ca.



For more information, contact:

Chantal Morin or Marie-Anne Grondin
514-844-6665, ext. 237/246
Chantal.morin@edelman.com /
marie-anne.grondin@edelman.com

References:
1. Investing in Canada’s Future 2003-2004, Canadian Institutes of Health Research
(CIHR), 2004

Statistics Canada, deaths, summary list of causes, 2004