ROANOKE, Va. – The American Heart Association is asking the community in Southwest Virginia to come together this weekend for the Roanoke Heart Ball. This is a chance to celebrate collective success in driving change, funding science and improving behaviors.
The Roanoke Heart Ball is taking place Saturday, Feb. 11 at Hotel Roanoke. The theme this year is an “Enchanted Evening.”
Magic will work its way throughout the entire night. A magician will perform close-up magic during cocktail hour and other performances the rest of the evening.
Christie Steele-Garcia, the American Heart Association of Virginia’s Development Director, says, “We wish we could wave a magic wand and see the end of strokes and heart disease, but we know it is going to take much more than that. However, when we all come together to celebrate the American Heart Association and raise funds for the AHA we kind of create our own magic.”
The night will also include a silent and live auction. More than 400 people are set to attend.
The Heart Ball takes place during February, which is Heart Month. During the month the American Heart Association helps spread awareness about heart disease and heart health.
For the past decade, the AHA has focused on “Life’s Simple 7″ for your health. This includes focusing on seven areas of your lifestyle that can help prevent cardiovascular disease. These include:
- Eating better
- Getting active
- Quitting smoking
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing cholesterol and glucose levels
- Understanding blood pressure
This past year, the AHA has added an eighth component: sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is vital to Cardiovascular health. The AHA recommends 7 to 9 hours a night.
This year’s theme for Heart Month is “Be the Beat.” This is all about making sure people in the community are trained in Hands-Only CPR.
When seconds matter most, CPR can mean the difference between life and death. According to the American Heart Association, three out of four cardiac arrests happen at home. This is why it is so important that someone in your house knows how to do it.
Hands-Only CPR is just two easy steps. First, call 9-1-1 and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest. This equals about 110 to 120 beats per minute.
“We really just want to empower people in the event of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, to jump in, and if you can, save a life. We know CPR saves lives in those critical moments before help arrives and having someone on site who knows CPR is just so important,” says Steele-Garcia.