Diet Coke and Heidi Klum Wave a Flag for Women's Heart Health

Diet Coke and Heidi Klum joined forces on February 1 to raise awareness and funds for women's heart health education and research. February is American Heart Month, and for the fourth consecutive year, Diet Coke is partnering with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to support The Heart Truth® campaign. This year, Diet Coke has created a national game of "Capture the Flag," inviting people to visit DietCoke.com/HeartTruth where they can capture flags with a click of the mouse to trigger a donation from Diet Coke to heart health programs.

Heidi Klum and Diet Coke launched the campaign yesterday at an all-star, first-of-its-kind "Capture the Flag" game in Los Angeles. Two teams faced off at the University of California, Los Angeles' (UCLA) Drake Stadium. The teams were playing to raise funds for two heart health organizations: UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program and the University of California, Davis Women's Cardiovascular Medicine Program.

"Capture the Flag is such a fun game, so when Diet Coke asked me to join the team, I was in!" said Klum. "It's simple for anyone to participate: go online, capture a flag, and you've raised money. Capture more flags. Raise more money. It's that easy."

Chelsie Hightower, Natasha Bedingfield and Ryan Kwanten were also on the sidelines along with the Laker Girls to support the teams and the cause.

"Diet Coke is a passionate supporter of The Heart Truth® campaign. This year we're offering people more ways than ever to participate. We invite everyone to join us by going online to capture flags and help raise awareness and funding for heart health programs," said William White, Group Director, Coke^TM North America. "We're dedicated to encouraging new generations of people to be active, stay extraordinary and become advocates for heart health."

The Heart Truth® campaign has made great strides in raising awareness about the need for a healthy heart, but heart disease is still the number one killer among women. Together, Diet Coke and The Heart Truth® campaign will continue to wave a flag with the hope of motivating women to take action for heart health.

"Partnering with Diet Coke provides an opportunity to place The Heart Truth® message into the minds and hands of millions of women across the United States," said Ann Taubenheim, Ph.D., M.S.N., Project Director for The Heart Truth® campaign. "The resources and support that Diet Coke has committed to The Heart Truth® help educate women about the seriousness of heart disease and the ways they can incorporate heart healthy habits into their lifestyles."