The American Heart Association rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
The group was represented by Dr. Cheryl Pegus, a clinical professor at NYU School of Medicine. She and other guests rang the bell to highlight the Go Red For Women campaign, which aims to increase awareness of the risk of heart disease and stroke in women and encourage medical research.
February is National Heart Month, a tradition that began in 1964 to emphasize concerns about heart disease, which is the number one cause of death in the United States.
The bell ringing, which marks the start of trading, was also meant to highlight the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Red Dress Collection at New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.
