A Message from Our Chair

I am honored to serve as your Chairman of the American Heart Association’s 2010 Heart Ball. In accepting such a prestigious commitment, I pledge to all of our current and future supporters that the 2010 Heart Ball will be bigger and better than all that have come before it.

I feel privileged to be a part of one of the most highly valued non-profit organizations in our nation. Your local American Heart Association is impacting the First Coast community in ways many of us overlook each day. AHA is present on every athletic field that is equipped with a life-saving automated external defibrillator protecting our students. AHA is present in each restaurant where you are able to breathe clean, smoke-free air. AHA is present in every hospital where doctors are able to save countless lives with technology developed from AHA funded research. You can see the effect of your donor dollar everywhere.

There are only exciting things in the future for the American Heart Association and the Heart Ball. This upcoming year, the Heart Ball brings children’s health into the limelight. Heart disease is not an old man’s disease. More children die each year from heart complications than all forms of childhood cancers combined. Scientists are continually making breakthroughs with certain types of heart defects and preventive medicines. The 2010 Heart Ball will focus on raising funds to make sure every pediatric research proposal can be funded. You can be a part of this ground breaking work.

Mark your calendar for Saturday, March 6, 2010 to join me at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort for the 2010 Heart Ball. This is promised to be an unforgettable evening filled with excited entertainment, auctions, and great food. Most of all, this is a time to gather your friends together and celebrate the wonderful strides we are taking to make our community a heart-healthy place to live.

From My Heart to Yours,

President John Delaney
University of North Florida
2010 Heart Ball Chairman