TODAY's very own Hoda Kotb was honored at the Woman's Day Red Dress Awards last night, held at New York City’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, for her significant impact in the fight against heart disease in women. Those commended along with Hoda were Barbara Walters, cardiologist Rita Redberg, Delores Covington and Denise Morrison, who was presented with a "Healthy Heart” award.
The star-studded gala also featured performances by Cee Lo Green, Natasha Bedingfield, Charice and gospel ensemble Broadway Inspirational Voices.
In a feature on the 2011 honorees in Woman's Day magazine, Hoda Kotb speaks about her dad's dying of a heart attack being a wake-up call for her and tells why her motto is "You have to be selfish in order to be selfless."
For the past three years, Kotb has been an ardent AHA supporter. In addition to hosting the Go Red For Women special on NBC, she served as a guest speaker at several Go Red events and has advocated for women’s heart health in her role as coanchor of the fourth hour of the TODAY show.
My wakeup call was... When my dad died of a heart attack at age 53. I don’t live in fear, but it made me more mindful of my own health habits.
My motto is... You have to be selfish in order to be selfless. I exercise every single day. It’s easy to say, “How can I spend one hour on me when other people need me?” But it’s the only way you’ll be around to continue helping other people for a long time to come.