OKLAHOMA CITY, March 26, 2024 — The 2024 Oklahoma City Heart Ball will be April 11 at the Oklahoma History Center Museum.  The gala, the first by the Association in OKC since the pandemic, is a culmination of the year-round American Heart Association Heart of Oklahoma City campaign, an initiative uniting community leaders to invest and make an impact in improving CPR education.

The American Heart Association-Oklahoma City board of directors has designated CPR education as a critical issue to address due to the number of people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest each year. One of those was OKC Heart Ball featured survivor Kathy Wilson Gold, a registered and licensed dietitian living in Edmond.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) happens when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively due to a problem with its electrical system. More than 356,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital in the United States each year. Without the proper response from people nearby, 90% of these incidents of cardiac arrest will result in death.

Gold was 46 years old when she collapsed in the Philadelphia airport in October 2006 while traveling for business. She was in the Admirals Airline Club checking on her flight information.

“My heart stopped without warning, and I fell to the ground, lifeless, for a seemingly endless 10 minutes to those watching,” she says. “In those critical moments, the Admirals Club staff sprang into action, calling for medical help. A firefighter, along with a nurse and a German doctor, rushed to perform CPR while others scrambled to locate an AED.

“For the next agonizing ten minutes, these heroes worked tirelessly to revive me with CPR. After three shocks from the AED, a faint heartbeat returned, and I was brought back from the brink of death,” recalls Gold.

Doctors at a Philadelphia hospital fitted her with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, or ICD, as a precaution. Two days later, she left the hospital with her husband, Mike, determined to cherish every moment with my family, which included then-6-year-old twins, Michael and Megan.

Since then, Gold has savored life's precious moments, including her son's achievements in college football and her daughter's success as Miss Oklahoma in 2022.

“Today, I embrace each day with gratitude, hoping my story inspires others to live life to the fullest," she says.

Gold is often asked whether her sudden cardiac arrest makes her anxious when traveling. “I respond that the only reason I’m alive today is that I was in the airport and received critical CPR and AED shocks to restart my heart.”

The 2024 OKC Heart Ball is supported by Signature sponsors Devon Energy and MidFirst Bank. In addition to an Open Your Heart moment featuring Gold, the evening’s activities will also include an elegant dinner and a live auction.

Auction items include an overnight stay in a cabin at Oklahoma Awesome Adventures in Hugo with breakfast delivered by an elephant and an OKC Zoo Wild Encounter that will enable guests to get up close and personal with bears, Galapagos tortoises, Indian rhinos, bison, Komodo dragon, and Asian elephants. Another package includes Two tickets in a suite for the Aug.  22 Luke Bryan “Mind of a Country Boy” tour, lodging downtown and dinner at Bob’s Steak & Chop House.

One local sponsor, Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma, is hosting A Ball For All - a sports equipment drive to benefit local youth organizations. To encourage heart healthy habits in Oklahoma youth, attendees are encouraged to bring a piece of new sports equipment. The drive will conclude on May 17, 2024. Additional donations may be dropped off at the Oklahoma City office, 3401 N.W. 63rd St., Suite 510.

The Heart of OKC campaign and the Heart Ball support the Association’s 2024 Health Equity Impact Goal, which aims to reduce barriers to health care access and quality. The American Heart Association is the world’s leading nonprofit organization focuses on heart and brain health. For more information on how to support the American Heart Association or how to reserve your spot at the OKC Heart Ball, visit heart.org/OKCheartball

For 100 years, the American Heart Association has saved and improved lives, pioneered scientific discovery and advocated for healthy public policies in communities across the country. These bold moves are fueled by our mission to be a relentless force for longer, healthier lives. They have helped transform our nation’s health and significantly reduce heart disease and stroke death rates. But these gains have not been shared equitably. Black, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian, Asian American, Pacific Islander and LGBTQ+ people have suffered and died disproportionately. So have people in historically underrepresented communities all over the country. With Bold Hearts™ and powered by science, we pledge to work relentlessly to eliminate heart disease and stroke, optimize brain health and ensure equitable health in every community.

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About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 - our Centennial year - we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.

For Media Inquiries

Cyd King: M 479.263.8473; cyd.king@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

heart.org and stroke.org