Each year, hundreds of corporate and medical professionals gather to celebrate the accomplishments of the American Heart Association at the annual Philadelphia Heart Ball.  This year, in addition to distinguished honorees, the Ball will focus its attention on the work that is being done in Philadelphia to combat some of our city’s biggest challenges which lead to life threatening health disparities.  Leading the fundraising efforts of the 2019 Philadelphia Heart Ball are Kevin Mahoney, Executive VP and Chief Administrative Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Executive Vice Dean for Integrative Services for the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Larry Kaiser, MD, FACS, President and CEO, Temple University Health System; Senior Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Temple University; Professor, Thoracic Medicine and Surgery, Temple University.

Philadelphia ranks at the top of large American cities whose residents are dying more frequently from premature cardiovascular disease.  Because of this, the American Heart Association’s Philadelphia Heart Ball will dedicate significant dollars towards addressing preventative issues such as food access, blood pressure management and safe streets.

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The American Heart Association will honor Gerard H. Sweeny, President & Chief Executive Officer and Trustee, Brandywine Realty Trust with the 2019 Heart of Philadelphia Award.  This prestigious honor is given to members of our community who are performing important philanthropic duties which impact significant change in our society.  Under Sweeney’s leadership, Brandywine has grown into one of the largest, publicly-traded, full-service, integrated real estate companies in the US, with a core focus on urban, town center, and transit-oriented development in the Philadelphia area.  Sweeney is passionate about placemaking and creating throughfall, dynamic spaces that have a positive impact on surrounding communities.

The American Heart Association will honor Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s Dr. Steven R. Houser with the Edward S. Cooper Award.  Each year, this honor is bestowed upon those who are making significant contributions to our medical community.  The Edward S. Cooper Award, is presented to a physician, researcher or medical professional whose many outstanding contributions to the Philadelphia community exemplify the best of humankind. The award is named for Edward S. Cooper, a world-renowned physician and pioneer in hypertension and stroke and the first African American to serve as national president of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Houser is an internationally respected cardiovascular researcher who has been a Temple faculty member for more than three decades. His research group, which has helped define many fundamental features of the normal cardiac myocyte as well as identified defective molecular and cellular processes that present cardiovascular disease, was awarded a five-year, $11.6 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health in 2012 to develop new approaches to prevent, slow or reverse damage to the heart after a heart attack. Dr. Houser has a long association with the American Heart Association, serving as a board member, Chair of the Research Committee, and President of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Affiliate. He has also served on a number of national AHA committees. He is Past President of AHA 2017-2018.

“The Heart Ball is a wonderful opportunity for our distinguished partners and volunteers throughout our community to come together in celebration of the important collaborative work being done in Philadelphia,” says Jennifer Davis, Executive Director & SVP of the American Heart Association Philadelphia office. “The Heart Ball raises awareness about the risks of cardiovascular disease in our community, and it also celebrates the results of our research, advocacy, volunteerism and educational programs at work.”

Guests of the evening will enjoy a cocktail reception, a healthy dinner, have a chance to bid silent and live auction items and celebrate the successes of Mr. Sweeney and Dr. Houser.  All proceeds from the Heart Ball support the American Heart Association, which funds public and professional education, advocacy and scientific research. Research funded by the association has yielded important discoveries such as CPR, life-extending drugs, pacemakers, bypass surgery, surgical techniques to repair heart defects and more. Last year, The Heart Ball raised a record $2 Million.

The Heart Ball will be held at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.  For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Charles Gorman-Kokolskyj at 215-545-5279 or

Charles.Gorman-Kokolskyj@heart.org .

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About the American Heart Association:

The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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