DeWitt resident Christine Andrew did not expect her husband to wear a dress, or to win the Best Red Dress award.

“I had no idea that he was going to wear that dress,” Andrew said.

“That just goes to prove he’ll do anything to help people become more aware,” she said.

Andrew, president of CoSozo, a health-based media company, was interviewing guests at the expo about their experiences with heart disease.

To help expo-goers feel comfortable and share their stories, her husband, DeWitt resident Jim Andrew, donned a sparkling red dress and walked for the good cause.

“It was fun — I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” Jim Andrew said.

Christine Andrew became involved with the cause after interviewing a woman about her experience losing a family member to heart disease.

“When you talk to people, they want to share who their loved one was,” she said. “More compelling than the data is the stories they’re willing to share.”

Dashers could win several awards, such as highest heels and best red dress, but raising awareness of women’s heart disease is what the American Heart Association Red Dress Dash is all about.

The dash started two years ago as a way to inform residents about an illness which is the leading cause of death for women, said Stacey Sawyer, American Red Cross senior director of communications.

“One-third of women will die of heart disease,” Sawyer said. “It kills more women than all cancers combined.”

Sawyer encouraged women of all ages to take proactive measures, such as regularly exercising, substituting red meats for fish.

She said that knowing cholesterol and blood pressure numbers is vital to maintain a healthy life style.

“If we don’t start at a young age and begin healthy practices, it will catch up to us,” Sawyer said.