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Spring Heart Events Need Physician Support
Now in its eighth year, the Central Arkansas Heart Ball has grown into the state’s largest annual single-event, black-tie fundraiser. The 1,090-person event expected to raise over $1 million in a single night, always sells out, said Heart Ball director Carol Dyer. One reason for that is the positive emphasis on “celebrating hearts,” she said. The gala has the requisite, lavish silent and live auctions, dinner, and later dancing to the music of The Rockets, but also a focus on service. Before dinner, 54 “Sweethearts”, high-school sophomore girls who have completed a heart-related service and education program, are presented to the ballroom. The Sweetheart Program involves completing educational curriculum and volunteering for 15 hours in one of the local hospitals. Dyer said that this year’s 54 especially impressive Sweethearts collectively worked over 2,500 service hours, demonstrating a commitment to heart patients well beyond the requirements. Sometime between dinner, dancing and the auction block, the non-profit also gives two prestigious annual awards for outstanding contributions to the Arkansas AHA’s mission. This year’s awards will go to Dr. Randy Jordan of Heart Clinic Arkansas and to Millie Ward and Larry Stone of Stone Ward. Another event is the relatively new Go Red for Women Luncheon on February 8, an entertaining and educational luncheon benefit targeting local professional women. This, too, is an already popular sell-out event that promotes awareness about heart disease while also being a famously good time. “We are trying to be not just a luncheon, but a movement,” Director Cathy Hooker said. The Go Red For Women movement challenges women to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk, and plays a leading role in providing women with the tools they need to lead heart-healthy lives. “Women come to have fun, and leave having had a great time, but also really understanding that cardiovascular disease is the number one killer for women, and the number one killer of all Americans,” Hooker said. “Then they go home and share that information with their friends and family. We think it makes a real difference to get people talking about heart disease.” The luncheon’s fun comes from the togetherness and social networking, the engaging speaker—this year, the founder of Pink Magazine for professional women—and from the competitive “shopping” via the creatively-themed silent auction. This year’s theme is “Purse-onalities.” The auction items are designer purses filled with gifts that reflect the donor’s unique personality. Dyer said that two of the strengths of the events are the dedicated volunteers who return year after year to solicit donations, sponsorships and organize the huge event, and the strong support of the healthcare sector. “There are so many, many good causes in this state to choose from, where to give your money is a highly individual decision. Having support from our doctors makes a real difference,” she said, explaining, “The corporate community is very involved with the American Heart Association, but to maintain that commitment, they need to see the level of commitment also in place from our medical community.” She said physicians and other healthcare professionals and institutions can help by attending the events, donating auction items, being sponsors and encouraging their institutions to be sponsors and by talking them up. Funds raised go toward cardiovascular disease education, outreach and research. Similarly important and entertaining AHA events are also taking place in northwest, northeast and south Arkansas throughout the spring. For more information about any of these events and how to support them, visit www.americanheart.org to identify the local offices. February 2008 Tags:NoneBookmark:
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