Last year, the Packers and American Family Insurance raised more $1 million for breast cancer research by selling pink baseball caps.

This year,the color is red and the cause is heart disease.

Sales of the Packers Heart cap, a red cap that features the famous Packers "G" on the front with an American Family Insurance logo and green and gold heart on the side, will raise money to be distributed to statewide charities focusing on heart disease research, prevention and support. The caps retail for $15, with one-third ($5) going to charity. Caps are available at the Packers Pro Shop at Lambeau Field and its Web site, www.packersproshop.com.

"We're once again proud to join with American Family Insurance in support of such a worthy cause," Packers Chairman and CEO Bob Harlan said in making the announcement. "The statistics about heart disease and how many people it affects are staggering. The good news is that most of the contributing factors can largely be prevented through lifestyle changes. This effort will help raise awareness and contribute money to charities engaged in the fight."

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among both men and women in America and a major cause of disability. In fact, heart diseases claim more lives each year than the next four leading causes of death combined, including cancer, respiratory diseases, diabetes and accidents. In Wisconsin, it accounts for 36.6 percent of all deaths. One in three women will get heart disease and one in four men will be afflicted.

"This is getting to be a habit for American Family Insurance and the Green Bay Packers, teaming up to address a serious health issue facing Wisconsin residents," said Rich Steffen, vice president of American Family. "Last year's results were tremendous, so the bar has been set pretty high. But there's no reason we can't achieve similar success with this year's campaign as well. We're giving Packers fans the opportunity to acquire a great-looking Packers hat -- in Wisconsin red, to boot -- for a great cause."

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