Hundreds celebrate women at Go Red luncheon - WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports

MADISON (WKOW) -- Hundreds of people gathered Thursday to save lives.

They came together to fight heart disease, the number one killer of women.

The luncheon was the finale of the Go Red for Women Girlfriend challenge.

WKOW has shared stories the last 12 weeks of a dozen local women who worked to improve their heart health.

The women and medical experts spoke on the importance of eating right and making time for exercise.

Even just a few small steps can make a big difference in your heart health.

"There are always a number of things that become barriers and we try to break down those barriers a little bit at a time, start small and build from there," said Ginger Zimmerman, event co-chair.

Click here to learn how you can make heart healthy changes and to read the Go Red challenge blogs.

WKOW is a proud sponsor of the Go Red challenge. Jamie Hersch, Elishah Oesch, and Diana Henry all participated in the 12-week challenge, improving their heart health as well as emceed the luncheon festivities. To watch their reports on the Challenge, click here.