WS Chronicle

Submitted photo

SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE

With 330 guests, the American Heart Association’s Winston-Salem Heart Ball raised $232,000 (net) through tickets, tables sold, sponsorships, silent and live auctions, and individual donations, including a $22,000 increase through purely philanthropic Open Your Heart bidding.

All funds raised through the Winston-Salem Heart Ball benefit heart disease and stroke research and prevention education.

During the evening, the four Womble Carlyle Healthy Heart Champion Finalists were recognized as local champions setting the example of heart healthy lifestyle changes in our community. The finalists included Davlyn Davis, Darryl Gordon, Keshia Horn and Rev. Konnie Robinson.

Rev. Konnie Robinson was announced as the winner and named the 2017 Womble Carlyle Healthy Heart Champion, receiving a gift basket from Womble Carlyle including a $500 VISA gift card. The additional finalists also received gift baskets containing a $100 VISA gift card. The event took place on Friday, April 28.

As a pastor of Union Chapel Baptist Church, Robinson is committed to reducing the health disparities in the African-American Community by leading by example. Robinson participated alongside his congregation in lifestyle changes to improve his personal health via increased education, awareness, physical activity, and proper nutrition. Congregants have made successful strides in becoming heart healthy and diabetes free. Personally, Robinson has lost over 30 pounds and still counting. Robinson was selected not only for his commitment to his own health, but to the health and wellness of his congregation.

The Minor Family, consisting of Mandy, BG, Grant and Keegan, were honored as 2017 Faces of Heart. Keegan was born with half a heart and had his first open heart surgery at 5 days old and second open heart surgery at around 9 months old.

This black-tie event, emceed by WXII’s Briana Conner, included a silent auction, live auction, gourmet dinner and entertainment by Black & Blue Experience. William Whitehurst, Winston-Salem managing partner at Womble Carlyle, chaired this year’s Winston-Salem Heart Ball with the assistance of a team of local executives to raise funds and put together this elegant black-tie affair.

Novant Health was recognized as the first Forsyth County Life is Why Sponsor. Womble Carlyle was the Healthy Heart Champions Signature Sponsor for the Winston-Salem Heart Ball.

Heart disease is the Number1 killer of both men and women in America and stroke is Number 5. All funds raised through the Winston-Salem Heart Ball benefit heart disease and stroke research and prevention education. For every dollar raised through the American Heart Association’s fundraising events in Winston-Salem,$2.53 comes back to Winston-Salem in AHA-funded research awards.

Currently, six AHA-funded heart disease and stroke research projects, totaling over $1.2 million, are currently underway at Wake Forest University and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.