Everson, second from right, is named Woman of Impact for the Ohio Valley on Friday by the American Heart Association for her work in the “Go Red for Women” campaign to raise awareness and funding for women’s heart health. Sherrie Dunlevy, second from left, was the runner-up. They are joined by the 2021 winner, Lauren Hersey, and the 2022 winner, Laurie Labishak.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — For the past nine weeks, two area women and their teams have been giving their all to educate, fundraise and increase awareness of heart disease and its effects on women during the American Heart Association’s Ohio Valley Women of Impact campaign.

At Undo’s West on Friday, Katie Everson of Belmont was selected as the 2023 Woman of Impact, with Sherrie Dunlevy of Wheeling as runner-up. The winning nominee is chosen by the number of “impact points” her network earns.

Lauren Thomas, development director with the American Heart Association, said impact points are earned by raising awareness with their projects.

“Each week they had different things to focus on, such as CPR awareness, research, advocacy, different themes over the course of the nine weeks for them to do different challenges and share of social media about those things, and that’s how they raised the impact points, along with the events that they hosted,” she said.

Thomas added this was the third year of the campaigns, and participation and awareness increases each time.

“People are getting really, really excited. They know that the Women of Impact campaign is coming up, and they absolutely love being a part of it,” she said.

Speakers noted the event took place on Good Friday, and the nominees followed Jesus’ example of “making an impact.”

Everson is a resident of Belmont, married to Scott Everson and the mother of four. She is a former English teacher and Walt Disney cast member who now teaches the First Holy Communion class on Sundays at St. Mary Catholic Church in St. Clairsville and serves as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.

She credits her faith as the central support and motivator for everything she does and accomplishes. She said the credo of her projects was the biblical verse 1st Corinthians 16:14: “Let all things that you do be done in love.”

Everson related her mother’s struggle with heart disease during the time of her campaign, taking it as a sign that she was meant to pursue this.

She raised $33,002. Her main event was a “Docs vs Jocks” basketball match at the end of March, when coaches and staff from St. Clairsville High School alumni squared off against the cardiovascular team from Trinity Health System. Everson, an alumnus, thanked the school personnel as well as the Sunrise Rotary Club and many area businesses and individuals.

“So many people have shown support and love, and this has been an incredible, life-changing journey for me and I’m so very happy, blessed and excited to be part of the Women of Impact for the Ohio Valley campaign, to support the American Heart Association’s ‘Go Red for Women.’ It is such an important cause.”

She added the local response demonstrates the strength of the Ohio Valley.

Dunlevy, of Wheeling, worked as a television anchor and is a bestselling author and inspirational speaker. She founded the Graduating Grief academy and hosts the Graduating Grief podcast. She wrote the book “How Can I Help?” as a resource for people who want to help loved ones dealing with grief.

Heart disease has touched her family as well, with her grandmother suffering a stroke and her father a heart attack.

“I’ve got heart disease on both sides of my family,” she said, adding her husband has also had a heart attack. “I have it in my family tree, and my son is at high-risk, too.”

She raised more than $22,000. Her chief project was a “Self-Care Saturday” for area women. It was held April 3 and included speakers and vendors. Dunlevy said they could not care for others while neglecting their own health.

Thomas said she hoped these might become yearly events in the future.

Thomas said the funding raised will go toward research, often regionally at Ohio State University, Marshall University, West Virginia University and other centers.

“We fund projects at major organizations throughout the country,” she said.

According to the American Heart Association, the majority of cardiac events can be prevented, and cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in women.

For more information, visit heart.org, GoRedforWomen.org or call 1-800-242-8721.