2008 Montgomery County Heart Ball raises $420,000 for heart disease research

The Woodlands, TX – Thanks to the untamed hearts of the guests, sponsors and organizers of the 2008 Montgomery County Heart Ball, the event raised $420,000 for the Montgomery County Division of the American Heart Association.

Held February 16th at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, over 550 turned out for a wild jungle version of the county’s premier black-tie gala evening themed “Untamed Hearts . . . Ignite The Passion” which featured elegant gourmet dining, interactive auctions and a choreographed dance performance by Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) and favorite dance tunes played the band “The Groove.”

This year’s event was chaired by Mark M. Mettauer, M.D., cardiovascular surgeon and Chief of Cardiovascular surgery at St. Luke’s CMC – The Woodlands, and his wife Marissa Mettauer.

“We are so very proud of the success of this year’s event,” said Marissa Mettauer. “The evening was full of energy and excitement. Many did not want to leave as they were having so much fun. Exceeding our fundraising goal by $20,000 was the icing on the cake!”

The honoree for this year's gala was the Woodlands North Houston Heart Center, a respected leader in cardiovascular medicine serving North Houston and Montgomery County. Dr. Vincent Aquino, senior partner of Woodlands North Houston Heart Center, said, “We were delighted to be chosen as this year’s honoree. The American Heart Association is such an important organization as heart disease touches everyone in some way.

Through fundraising efforts such as the Heart Ball, they are supporting lifesaving research and educational programs to fight cardiovascular disease and stroke, which kill more residents in Montgomery County than the other seven leading causes of death combined. Our philosophy here at Woodlands North Houston Heart Center is centered on prevention and the belief that this fight begins long before a catastrophic event occurs.”

In addition to Dr. Aquino, the team of physicians at Woodlands North Houston Heart Center includes Dr. Gary M. Coleman, Dr. Bruce S. Lachterman, Dr. Christopher H. LaVergne, Dr. Brenda Peabody, Dr. Bernardo de la Guardia, Dr. Chacko Alexander, Dr. Margit Nemeth, and Dr. George Kantis who will join the practice this summer.

Top sponsors for the Heart Ball included Richie’s Pharmacy, Tom Pisula Development LLC, Wild at Heart Friends, and Woodlands North Houston Heart Center. The top auction items were a diamond heart necklace by Dannini and a two-year lease on a 2008 BMW 3-Series by BMW of Houston North at 1960.

For more information about the Montgomery County Heart Association, contact Lindsey Mulholland at (713) 610-5021 or Lindsey.mulholland@heart.org or visit www.americanheart.org/mocoheartball.