This year’s Greater Washington Heart Ball, a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, is expected to draw 500 of the region’s prominent medical and corporate leaders.
It will be held at the Mandarin Oriental from 6:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., including the afterparty hosted by the American Heart Association’s PULSE committee of young professionals.
As in previous years, the ball is a black-tie event featuring dinner, dancing, live music, a silent auction and a live auction. This year’s auction items include some family-friendly options, such as an Orlando travel package with Disney World and Sea World passes. Bidders can use a mobile platform to browse and buy.
Funds raised from the event go toward community outreach efforts to provide education about heart disease, stroke and the effects of childhood obesity. Funds also go toward research, which has led to breakthroughs in treatment, including artificial valves, CPR, pacemakers, angioplasty, bypass surgery, medications for high blood pressure and cholesterol and many other inventions and discoveries.
“Carpe diem,” Latin for “seize the day,” is the theme for this year’s Heart Ball, and event chair Rob Franklin is encouraging participants to live out that phrase.
“Heart disease and stroke are the No. 1 and No. 5 cause of death for all Americans and worldwide,” Franklin said. “It really affects the business community as well because businesses are made up of people.”
Related: Heart of the Community: 2017 Heart Ball Rallies Greater Washington Region
