The girls of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority walked across campus to raise awareness for cardio vascular disease on Thursday.

Shayla Cockerm, president of the sorority, said that heart disease is the number one killing disease for women. One in three women are killed by the disease each year.

Cockerm also said that heart disease is more common among African American women.

Cockerm is a senior political science major and has been the sorority president for a year.

Exercising, not smoking and eating healthy are all methods to prevent heart disease. Cockerm said that the girls were walking to demonstrate this healthy lifestyle.

Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. has never organized a walk like this before. Almost 30 girls wearing red, the color for heart disease awareness, walked across campus from Hemphill Hall to the activity center in the frigid cold Thursday afternoon.

Cockerm said the purpose of the walk was to raise awareness about the disease.

The sorority has been planning the event since the start of the semester. The event was an effective way to raise awareness and did not cost the sorority anything.

The walk was part of the initiative with the national Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., and national Pink Goes Red day was Friday. The national sorority sent announcements about the day to each chapter. Every chapter then planned an event to raise awareness about heart disease. Last year, in honor of Pink Goes Red, members of the local graduate chapter, Zeta Phi Omega, walked at the Pecanland Mall.

Tiffany Reed, a senior toxicology major, has been a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. since fall of 2012.

“I think the walk is a good idea to raise awareness for heart disease. We want to let people know exercise is the key to staying healthy,” Reed said.

The girls carried signs on their walk reading “Pink Goes Red” and featuring facts about cardio vascular disease.

The sorority promoted the walk on social media sites and hung a sign in the SUB. The event was open to anyone who wanted to participate. No registration was required.

The Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. was the first black college organization, according to Reed. It was founded in 1908 at Howard University. Their initiative is “Service to All Mankind.”

The ULM chapter has 17 members on campus.