New River Community and Technical College is going red to raise awareness for American Heart Month.

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death, responsible for an estimated 17 million deaths every year in the world. In the United States, cardiovascular disease is listed as the underlying cause of death in 840,678 deaths, about one out of every three.

New River CTC employees wore red on Feb. 1 to raise awareness for Heart Month and events have been planned throughout the month at New River CTC’s campuses. The college’s medical assisting students will be offering free blood pressure screenings on Monday, Feb. 11, at the Greenbrier Valley Campus in Lewisburg from 1-3 p.m.