Dallas, Texas - The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association topped entries from 44 other countries to earn the World Stroke Organization’s First Place “Gold Award” for World Stroke Day 2014.

A consortium of Brazilian stroke societies places second and the Pakistan Stroke Society and NARC, third.

Through its Together to End Stroke initiative, sponsored by Covidien, the American Stroke Association leveraged a thoughtful mix of social and traditional media tactics around World Stroke Day to help the public remember the most common stroke warning signs and how to respond.

A key champion for the U.S. campaign was American Supermodel Claudia Mason, who many regard as an unlikely stroke patient. Mason shared her memorable story with local and national radio and television shows, including with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on the TODAY Show. Mason is also the subject of an American Stroke Association print PSA released in conjunction with World Stroke Day 2014.

“We are very proud of our successful World Stroke Day campaign in the U.S. and are honored to receive this recognition,” said Mary Ann Bauman, M.D., chair of the American Stroke Association Advisory Committee. “We applaud the World Stroke Organization for coordinating World Stroke Day and helping us all work together to shine a light on stroke, which is truly a global health issue.”

The World Stroke Organization began the World Stroke Day Campaign in 2006 as a way to to mobilize the global community around stroke. This is the American Stroke Association’s first Gold Award.

“The 2014 submissions were all outstanding, from different regions in the world and different health settings,” said World Stroke Organization president Stephen Davis, M.D. “However, a common theme has been the use of mass communications and social media to spread the message that stroke is a largely preventable and treatable condition. My warm congratulations to the 2014 laureates.”

In the United States, 795,000 people have a stroke each year – about one every 40 seconds. For more information visit StrokeAssociation.org.