Heart of Montgomery County Heart Ball turns up the beat

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The American Heart Association’s Montgomery County Heart Ball turned up the beat for 500 generous guests last Saturday at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center. The annual philanthropic gala, presented by St. Luke’s Health – The Woodlands and chaired by Kathy Tautenhahn, honored the life of Tautenhahn’s late husband Scott by sharing his inspirational message of second chances, early detection, and prevention.

The reception, which began at 6 p.m., was filled with hundreds of Montgomery County philanthropists, physicians and business leaders decked out in elegant ball gowns and black tie attire. All were invited to enjoy cocktail hour, a massive bid board with dozens of items and a Hands-Only CPR demonstration. At the stroke of 8 p.m., attendees were ushered into the ballroom by the deep sound of a booming heartbeat.

New AHA Gulf Coast Regional Vice President, Kellie Armstrong, shared her personal why for joining the organization and introduced Amber Baker, Associate Regional Executive Vice President, who acknowledged the passion behind her twenty-year career with the organization, while also expressing her appreciation of newcomer volunteer Kathy Tautenhahn and Lifetime Giving Society Ambassadors Suzanne and Bob Potter.

Will Murphy led an exciting live auction that included dream vacation experiences, breath-taking jewelry and one-of-a-kind wine and culinary experiences curated by auction chairs Johnna Edone and Sonia Khurana. An Open Your Heart video, followed by a standing ovation and toast, given by Dr. Giri Vedala of Memorial Hermann, honored the life of Scott Tautenhahn who avoided a major cardiac event through early detection and prevention, giving him an additional 12 years of life with his family.

The festivities continued with a stunning Afterparty, featuring Celebrity DJ, Men-Yo, who kept the crowd on their feet all night to a variety of cultural playlists.