NEW YORK — Toni Braxton still doesn’t recall all the details of that frightening night back in 2003. The Grammy winner who burst on the scene in the early ‘90s with her sultry hit, “Unbreak My Heart,’’ was starring in “Aida’’ on Broadway. It was intermission and she was feeling strange, sort of woozy, when suddenly … suddenly. … “My dresser said I passed out,’’ Braxton recalls, though she has no memory of it. “None of us thought it was a very good sign,’’ she continues. “I wasn’t able to finish the show.’’

Sitting in the ER later that night, waiting for the doctors, heart disease was the furthest thing from her mind. Yes, she’d been fatigued, easily winded and had felt a strange tightness in her chest. But she’d just had her second son, Diezel. His older brother, Denim, was only 2. And rehearsing the show was exhausting. Maybe it was her childhood asthma returning, she thought. But not heart disease. That’s for old men.

“I just didn’t believe it could happen to me,’’ says Braxton, now 40, who was diagnosed with pericarditis, an inflammation of the heart lining. The bigger problem, she realizes now, is that “many women think that way.’’

So Braxton is “going red’’ this month — along with first lady Laura Bush, plus a host of celebrities and fashion designers, all supporting the “Go Red for Women’’ campaign of the American Heart Association. The idea is to spread awareness about heart disease, the leading killer of women.

Bush kicked things off Feb. 1, National Wear Red Day, appearing at the sixth annual Red Dress Collection fashion show in New York. The annual event is sponsored by The Heart Truth, Go Red’s sister campaign run by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Walking the runway in red hot designer dresses were such celebs as Lisa Rinna, Sara Ramirez, Heidi Klum, Ashanti, Camryn Manheim, Rita Moreno and Liza Minnelli.

Braxton, who recently signed on as spokeswoman for the Campbell Soup Co.’s “Go Red With Campbell’s’’ program, donned a red dress of her own earlier this month. But hers had a soupcon of, well, OK — soup cans. The “Mmm, mmm, good’’ company got designer Lisa Perry to create for Braxton three possible dresses inspired by that iconic image Warhol loved so much, then let members of the public vote for their favorite. (For every vote cast on its Web site, Campbell’s donated $1 to the American Heart Association.)

Campbell’s also is raising money for the cause by selling “Art of the Heart’’ T-shirts. But the heart-healthy merchandise doesn’t stop there.

Still need a gift for Valentine’s Day? Take a moment to check out the items below, proceeds for which benefit the heart association.

Or, better still, use that moment to take the Go Red Heart CheckUp, at goredforwomen.org. The interactive online quiz helps women calculate their risk of having a heart attack or cardiovascular disease in the next decade, and offers info on how to reduce the risk.

“We all have things we need to do for our families and loved ones, and we keep ignoring our own discomforts,’’ says Braxton, who was also recently diagnosed with high blood pressure. (She now takes medication, avoids salty foods and hits a treadmill 20 minutes a day.)

“That’s why I wanted to spread the word,’’ she says. “Pay attention to what’s going on with you. A moment to look at what’s going on in your health may seem like an inconvenience, but it just may save your life.’’

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GIFTS WITH HEART

—During February, Cool Sets will give the American Heart Association 10 percent of all online sales of its Red Passion collection, including moisture-wicking sleepwear separates (such as this top, $55, and pants, $36) and robes. At coolsets.com.

—Campbell’s will give the American Heart Association 50 percent of proceeds of its limited-edition Art of the Heart T-shirt, $15. Available at goredwithcampbells.com.

—A Valentine’s Day gift for him can still benefit her, thanks to the Geoffrey Beene Foundation, which has partnered with Macy’s to offer a 10 percent donation throughout February on sales of select Geoffrey Beene men’s dress shirts, $45 to $60; ties, $39.50; and cufflinks, $20 to $55.

—Perfumania will donate $5 from each sale of “Go Red’’ (3.3 fluid ounces eau de toilette, $39.99), a new fruity, Oriental fragrance with hints of bergamot, lemon, pineapple, raspberry, “juicy dark plum,’’ vanilla and amber. Available exclusively at Perfumania and perfumania.com.

—Funky Chunky Handbags is donating 20 percent of February sales of three fab items on its Web site, including Nick & Nora’s cheery red kimono beauty case, $32 at funkychunky handbags.com.

—Swarovski plans to donate $150,000 to the American Heart Assocition from sales of its Go Red for Women collection, including these earrings, $75, available at Swarovski stores, 800-426-3088, or swarovski.com.

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(c) 2008, Newsday.