Society / Featured Parties

Houston’s Smashing $2.3 Million Night — This Heart Ball Defies All Expectations

Touching Stories, Heart Disease Truths and Millions Raised

BY // 02.18.20

While the American Heart Association reaped a smashing $2.3 million at Saturday night’s Heart Ball, I unexpectedly won big as well.  After my husband contributed the requisite $500, I drew a numbered heart (27 was my pick) from a silver bowl that entitled me to a Tenenbaum Jewelers gift bag. Woo-hoo! My number coordinated with the bag containing a stunning pair of diamond earrings valued at $3,000.

It was a win, win night for all including for chairs Beverly and Jim Postl, long-time AHA patrons who led the black-tie promenade at the Hilton Americas-Houston to the commendable proceeds. In remarks to the gathering, Jim Postl noted that his wife, fully recovered, had previously suffered a heart attack. For many among the 700 guests, this brought home the fact of how close heart disease is. One in every four deaths are the result of heart health issues.

With the noble mission of AHA at the forefront, guests felt encouraged to join in the jewelry pull. As the ball’s specialty sponsor, Tenenbaum created a wall of 35 gift bags, 20 of them holding a $500 gift card to Tenenbaum and 15 each containing a card for a particular piece of jewelry that was on display at an adjacent case. At night’s end, the sold-out effort raised $17,500 for programs promoting heart health and every participant went home a winner.

Underlining the importance of the fundraising effort was healthy heart transplant patient Meghan Stapleton, who was lucky enough to have received a heart only five days after being placed on the transplant list. A moving video spotlighted Stapleton and her family and emphasized the night’s focus on cardiovascular disease and spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a rare condition that occurs when a tear forms in an artery in the heart.

The gala honored AHA’s Cor Vitae (Latin for “heart of life”) Society, of which the Postls are early members. The society celebrates individual donors who commit to annual gifts of $5,000 or more. Among Core Vitae members in the gala throng including the Postls were Hallie Vanderhider, Shirley and Skip Allen, and Debbie and Jack Moore. Those committing $500,000 in cumulative gifts earn lifetime membership in Core Vitae.

The evening kicked off with an original song and dance routine presented by students of TUTS Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, highlighting the “Gift of Time” theme of the evening. The night closed out with announcement of the 2021 Heart Ball chairs Lisa and Jerry Simon, with dancing to the sounds of Manhattan and with the Young at Heart after party chaired by Rachel Dash.

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PC Seen: Mayor Sylvester Turner, Debbie and Jack Moore, Ann and Peter Fluor, Cathy and Joe Cleary, Ali and David Pruner, Steve Lasher and Janiece Longoria, Margaret Alkek Williams, Lacey and Matthew Goossen, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Tony Bradfield, Roslyn Bazzell Mitchell and Derrick Mitchell, Vicki and John Crum, Katie and Robby Zorich, and emcee Melanie Lawson, KTRK Channel 13 news anchor.

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