Heroes of the Heart Gala

Adventist Health Foundation will hold the second “Heroes of the Heart” Gala Tuesday, October 29, at the Nines Hotel. The event will recognize Adventist Health’s 2013 Heroes of the Heart for their outstanding contributions to our community.

Net proceeds will benefit Adventist Health Foundation’s Heart to Home Transitional Care program. Whole person care includes ensuring the healing process transitioning from hospital to the home. Building on last year’s in-patient call back program, Adventist Health Medical Group will use these funds to launch a pilot program of in-home health coaching visits. Including the family as part of the healing process can be best served with interaction in the homes. The pilot program includes services from nutritional coaching to exercising. Our goals are to reduce patient and family anxiety while promoting continuity of care.

Joe Donlon, KGW News Anchor, will return as the Master of Ceremonies. The keynote speaker will be Lt. Col. (Ret.) Brian Birdwell, a survivor of the terrorists' attacks on September 11, 2001. The hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 hit his Pentagon office head on. He was 15 yards away in a hallway when he was thrown to the ground by the impact and engulfed in flames. Of the burns that consumed 60 percent of his body, nearly half were third degree, resulting in the need for 30+ surgeries, intensive skin grafts and unbearably painful burn treatments. Brian and his wife, Mel, share their compelling message of enduring hope, unwavering faith, undying patriotism and unconditional love. They have formed "Face the Fire Ministries" non-profit organization that supports critical burn survivors and wounded service personnel and their families. The couple has written "Refined by Fire: A Family's Triumph of Love and Faith", the story of their life-changing ordeal. Brian is from Granbury, Texas and represents District 22 in the Texas Senate.

Keynote Sponsor:

Downloads

• Heroes of the Heart Nominations  
• Sponsorship Packet
• 2012 Gala Newsletter

Our 2012 Heroes of the Heart

Sue Piazza, Creator, The Fabulous Fifty Project, wanted to do something meaningful for children in her community and began a mission that led to the “Fabulous Fifty Project” where she identified five local charities to support and began a journey to raise $10,000 gifts for each of them by her 50th birthday on June 14.
 

Wendell White, Chairman, Generations LLC, has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in both the senior living services industry and his community service. Wendell has 60 years of service to seniors, their families, employees, and the communities in which he has lived and worked. He is a recognized leader statewide in the senior care industry. His outstanding leadership as chair of Adventist Health’s Chaplain Campaign raised $6.2 million to fully endow Adventist Health’s chaplain department. This endowment resulted in the first endowed chaplain department in a healthcare setting in the United States. This fund ensures that we will continue to have a vibrant spiritual care support program for our patients, families, staff, physicians and volunteers.

Bess Wills, General Manager, Gresham Ford, is passionate about giving to her community. Helping small organizations all over the city is her obsession. Bess started the “Community Support Program” that donates $100 with the purchase of any new or used vehicle, and 10% of all service work, parts and labor, in the customer’s name to the charity of their choice. As a result, they have helped literally hundreds of different organizations, improve lives throughout the region and the nation.