With 650 well-heeled partygoers filling the Hilton Americas-Houston ballroom, with scores of ladies dressing in heartfelt red and with a soprano belting out "My Heart Will Go On," what was not to love about the American Heart Association's Heart Ball? Particularly with a take that approached $1.2 million
Congrats to chairs Lavonne Cox and Denis DeBakey and honorary chair Margaret Alkek Williams. The compelling note of this night was that just about everyone in the ballroom has been touched by heart disease. Perhaps that was the impetus for both Dr. Charles Fraser and Jeanette and Jim Woods to each make spontaneous gifts of $10,000 to the gala.
In the loving spirit of the night, AHA board chairman Chuck Davidson and Fraser, AHA president, offered a champagne toast as a nod to the evening's theme "A Toast to Your Heart."
The evening honored medical leaders Maria and Dr. Miguel Quinones, community leaders Jyl and Keith Calcote and corporate leader Cameron International Corp. Heart attack survivor and author Connie Reeves Cooke was in the spotlight for her compelling video recounting her near-deadly encounter with heart disease.
Soaking up the velvety red decor by Darryl & Co. were guests including Clayton Cooke, Helen Fraser, Julie and Dr. Marc Boom, Dominique Sachse and Nick Florescu, Charlene and John Ripley, Carolyn and Frank Grese, Dr. Jim Willerson, Trini Mendenhall-Sosa and Frank Sosa and representing Cameron were Debbie and Jack Moore, Grace and Rocky Holmes and Rosie and Adam Nightingale.
