A Message from Our Chair
I am truly honored to serve as the chair for the 2013 SWLA Heart Ball. I appreciate the opportunity to give back to our community and help the American Heart Association fulfill their mission “to build healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.”
Our local American Heart Association positively affects Southwest Louisiana in ways many of us overlook each day. The American Heart Association is present on every athletic field equipped with a life-saving automated external defibrillator.
They are present in each restaurant where you are able to breathe clean, smoke-free air. They are present in every hospital where doctors are able to save countless lives with technology developed from research funded by the American Heart Association. You can see the effect of your donor dollars everywhere.
In 2011, more than $13 M was contributed to research in cardiovascular diseases and stroke in the Greater Southeast Affiliate of the American Heart Association covering Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi and Puerto Rico. In Louisiana alone, the American Heart Association funds 13 awards new and continuing research, totaling $2.3M. I see how the American Heart Association is making from funding research that led to the development of the pacemaker, artificial heart valve and CPR, to helping our community focus on their heart health through walking paths, National Eating Healthy Day, Fit Friendly Worksites and Heart Walk – the American Heart Association is doing great things in Southwest Louisiana.
Mark your calendar for Friday, May 10, 2013 and join us at L’Auberge Casino Resort for the 2013 Heart Ball. This is promised to be an unforgettable evening filled with exciting entertainment, auctions, and great food. Most of all, this is a time to gather your friends together and celebrate the wonderful strides we are taking to make our community a heart-healthy place to live.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Patricia Philmon
Merrill Lynch
Chair, 2013 Southwest Louisiana Heart Ball