The Buffalo Niagara Division of the American Heart Association (AHA) is pleased to announce Anthony J. Baynes, Chairman of A.J. Baynes Group, and James W. C
ornell, CEO of Praxiis Advisors, as the volunteer co-chairmen for the 2014 Heart Ball. The annual black-tie event will take place on Saturday, May 31st at the Hyatt Regency Downtown. Baynes and Cornell are leading the organization’s appeal to the local business community to support the AHA’s mission to build healthier lives, free from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by supporting the event.
For more than 30 years, the Buffalo Niagara Heart Ball has promoted the AHA’s mission on a local level, and thanks to the support of community donors, there have been inspiring advances in the fight against heart disease and stroke, including:
- Innovative Research. Bright young researchers do pioneering work because AHA funding has produced revolutionary discoveries that have led to CPR, clot-busting drugs, the pacemaker, and drug-eluting stents. Currently, the AHA funds $1.8 million in research grants in Western New York.
- Vital Local Education. Providing resources to the Buffalo Niagara Region for wellness programs in the workplace and in schools. The AHA offers tools to lower risk factors, to recognize warning signs, and to respond in an emergency.
- Quality Health Care. Funds raised help the American Heart Association develop guidelines that give patients the best possible care. The AHA guidelines help doctors and hospitals put evidence-based protocols in place.
- A Voice in Government. The AHA advocacy network champions key issues at the local, state and national levels to make us all safe from our region’s leading killer, cardiovascular disease. One recent success includes the passage of the pulse-ox law – a simple, non-invasive screening test for all newborns that could identify a congenital heart defect that may otherwise go undetected.
“Jim and I are both survivors, so this cause is very personal for us. And we are certainly not alone, almost everyone knows someone affected by heart disease and have seen the benefits of the American Heart Association’s work,” states Baynes. “We are making strides,” Cornell agrees. “The prevalence of heart disease in our community is devastating, but we can change these statistics. Heart disease and stroke can be prevented.”
For more information on table and sponsorship opportunities please contact the American Heart Association at 716-614-1985. The American Heart Association’s Heart Ball is locally sponsored by, A.J. Baynes Group,Praxiis Advisors, and WGRZ.