The Great Heart Ball and other SEEN events.
The Roaring ’20s theme for the 31st annual American Heart Association of Greater Pittsburgh Heart Ball was the perfect antidote to the stock market’s nearly heart-stopping plunge last week.
Almost 600 guests, many dressing for the flapper-era evening, enjoyed a lively cocktail hour Saturday before the ballroom doors opened at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh hotel, Downtown. The event, chaired by Dr. Joon Lee with Grace, honored nurse Beth Ann Condit with the Mary Ann Scully Excellence in Nursing Award and Dr. William Neches with the Peter J. Safar Pulse of Pittsburgh Award.
Hefren-Tilllotson hosted the VIP reception, where the honorees had a chance to speak before the dinner. Dr. Neches’ wife, Ellen, spoke on his behalf. “He is suffering from a week-long asthma attack,” she explained. “The Heart Association has always been an important part of his life and he is honored to get this award,” she added. Mrs. Condit said her first professional options were truck driver or mechanic, but her father would not allow it — so she followed others in her family into nursing.
“I would not want to do anything else, and I appreciate my family’s support, especially when I was on call,” she said. Mrs. Condit’s husband, Jack, smiled with pride. VIPs joined the cocktail party, perusing the live auction offerings and socializing. Emcee and KDKA-TV’s Bob Pompeani with Lisa Pompeani welcomed everyone to the ballroom for dinner, the auction and dancing to the Bachelor Boys Band. “We are raising money to help our community, and we are focusing on food insecurity, physical inactivity and controlling blood pressure,” said Deb Banks, director,
AHAGP. “We will probably raise about $1.2 million,” Ms. Banks said.
#SEEN: Kim Tillotson and Curt Fleming, Craig and Jill Tillotson, Darlene Morocco, Post-Gazette publisher John Robinson Block with Laura Dugan, Diane and Jerry Holder, Leslie C. Davis, Dr. George Magovern Jr. with Jamie, Dr. Lee Beerman, Kitty Zell, Lois Karran, Christina O’Toole of Avenue Two Travel (who donated the trip to Italy’s Amalfi Coast), KDKA-TV’s Celina Pompeani, Brandon and Chelsea Pompeani Craig, Jennifer and Michael Annichine, Carolyn and Scott Sanford, Isabelle and Tom Scott, and Anita Moulton.