News
With 330 guests, the American Heart Association’s Winston-Salem Heart Ball which took place on Friday, April 28, 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.
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.
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 Reverend 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.
Womble Carlyle Winston-Salem Office Managing Partner Bill Whitehurst and Rev. Konnie Robinson – Winston-Salem Heart Ball Chair and Womble Carlyle Healthy Heart Champion Winner.
As a Pastor of Union Chapel Baptist Church, Reverend Konnie Robinson is committed to reducing the health disparities in the African American Community by leading by example. Rev Robinson participated alongside his congregation in lifestyle changes to improve his personal health via increased education, awareness, physical activity, and proper nutrition. The results are amazing! Congregants have made successful strides in becoming heart healthy and diabetes free. Personally, Rev Robinson has lost over 30 lbs and still counting. Reverend Robinson was selected not only for his commitment to his own health, but to the health and wellness of his congregation.
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. Wake Forest Baptist Health was the Premier Social Media Sponsor for the night.
Belk was the proud local sponsor of PULSE Winston-Salem, the American Heart Association’s young professionals group. EBoss Group sponsored the mobile bidding the Winston-Salem Heart Ball. Hope of Winston-Salem Sponsors included LabCorp and Southern Fasteners and Supply.
The Winston-Salem Heart Ball received coverage in the Winston-Salem Journal and Philanthropy North Carolina.
Heart disease is the #1 killer of both men and women in America and stroke is #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.
