Staten Island, NY – The Wagner women's basketball team hosts Sacred Heart tonight at 7:00 p.m., in addition to being a key matchup between a pair of longtime Northeast Conference (NEC) rivals, it will also be Heart Awareness Night, with 10% of all ticket proceeds earmarked for Protecting One Young Heart At a Time Foundation.

Protecting One Young Heart At a Time celebrates the life of Frank Reali, the oldest son of Fran and Frank Reali of Westerleigh,RI, who died suddenly in 2007 from an undetected heart ailment. Instead of giving in to their grief, the couple decided to fight back, establishing a foundation in their son's name to help prevent such deaths in the future.

The 36-year-old father of five had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), one of several heart conditions known as Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome. HCM is characterized by a thickening of the heart muscle. The genetic disorder is estimated to affect one in 500 people and can lead to sudden cardiac death if untreated.

Fran Reali will be on hand tonight to promote and receive donations for Protecting One Young Heart At a Time, Inc.

For the past 12 years, the first Friday in February has been designated as "National Red Day" (this year's is Friday, February 6), an effort that further serves to raise awareness about heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women.

Each year, heart disease claims the lives of an estimated 630,000 Americans and is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which can lead to a heart attack. You can greatly reduce your risk for CAD through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication.

Since 1963, February has been celebrated as American Heart Month to urge Americans to join the battle against heart disease and, since 2004, February also has been the signature month for the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign and the message that heart disease is not only a man's problem

That year, the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute took action against a disease that was taking the lives of nearly half a million women each year, and so, National Wear Red Day was born. It's held on the first Friday in February every year to raise awareness about heart disease being the No. 1 killer of women.

Heart disease in women hit home here on Staten Island in 2010 when then freshman Seahawk basketball player, and current graduate assistant for women's basketball operations, Melanie Williamson, experienced a fainting spell during a preseason practice. After undergoing a battery of tests over several weeks, doctors discovered that "Mel" was suffering from an aortic root dilation, a treatable condition but one that would end her playing career.

Williamson elected to remain a Wagner student, serving three seasons as an undergraduate manager. Following her 2014 graduation from Wagner, where she majored in sociology with a psychology minor, she is in her first year on the Seahawk staff where she remains a positive, vibrant and driving force behind the scenes for the Seahawk women's basketball program.

Programs such as "Protecting One Young Heart At a Time," offers education and provides screenings that will hopefully prevent sudden cardiac death, the condition that killed Curtis High School football player, Miles Kirkland-Thomas in September.

"I love what Mrs. Fran and Mr. Frank are doing for the young developing athletes here on Staten Island," says Williamson. "Even though I'm no longer able to play basketball, I'm very fortunate and extremely grateful that we discovered the issue early.

"While I will never fully get over the fact that I missed out on the chance of playing Division I basketball, I continue to get through this by mentoring and coaching young athletes on the importance of health, while supporting organizations such as Protecting One Young Heart at a Time. I encourage every athlete to get screened." Williamson stated.

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