Nassau, Bahamas - On February 13, 2016, the 52nd Annual
Heart Ball will showcase a wonderful evening of elegance, world-class
entertainment and exciting fundraising to support the life-saving efforts
of The Bahamas’ oldest non-profit organization.
Since 1961, the Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart
Foundation has assisted over 4,000 Bahamian children affected by congenital
heart disease. Congenital heart disease is the leading cause of death in
Bahamian children and usually cannot be detected until after birth, where the
need for immediate treatment is often critical and costs can be very expensive.
“The Heart Ball is the Foundation’s major annual
event to raise funds for pediatric heart surgeries,” said Coretta Owen, Heart
Ball Committee co-chair. “The Heart Ball Committee, made of dedicated
volunteers, has been working for months to plan a fantastic evening. We’ll have
great entertainment, food and drinks; lots of door and table prizes. Our
fundraising efforts will include an impressive silent auction, and a grand
raffle and a signature raffle. With about 200 prizes to be awarded, the idea is
to create a grand evening where all attendees are thoroughly entertained and
have a good chance of leaving with fantastic prizes, knowing the money they
donate will go directly to children’s heart care. It’s an exciting night
because we all know we’re there to impact Bahamian children’s lives.”
Staging an event of this magnitude is no small
feat, and the costs for putting on this type of extravaganza could impact a
fundraiser’s effectiveness, if not for the generous support of corporate
Bahamas.
“The support of the corporate community has been
wonderful,” noted Owen. “97 cents of every dollar raised by the Foundation go
directly to heart procedures. For a non-profit organization, that’s an
incredible number. If we didn’t have the generous support of the business
community, we just wouldn’t be able to do it and we wouldn’t be able to assist
as many children as we do each year. They’ve purchased Heart Ball tickets,
donated silent auction prizes, raffle prizes, table prizes. They’ve donated services,
produced TV ads, and sponsored media exposure.
We are just so grateful for the support and are energized knowing that
we have so many wanting to partner to save the lives of young Bahamian heart
patients.”
The year’s major Heart Ball sponsors include: Atlantic
Medical, Bahamasair, BahamasLocal.com, Bahamian or Nuttin 92.5 FM, British
Airways, Burns House, Cable Bahamas, G&M Appliances, Island FM, J&J
Imaging, John Bull, Joy FM, Love 97 FM, More 94.9 FM, Nassau Guardian Media Group,
Simone’s Basket of Happiness, Lyford Cay International School, Royal Bank of
Canada, TheBahamasWeekly.com and Young’s Fine Wines.
“The grand prize for our raffle will be two
round-trip tickets for two to London on British Airways, so we truly thank them
for that. And our Signature Raffle promises to be very exciting as we raffle a
$3800 Bvlgari Ladies Watch, donated by John Bull. So again, its sponsors like
these that make the evening so special and help us do what we are able to do
each year for our kids.”
Tickets are $250 and available at the Foundation’s
office at Eves, 424 West Bay Street, tel: 242 327 0806.
