Scarlet Night to Feature Dr Abraham Varghese
Dinner gala at Santa Clara Convention Center to feature bestselling author Dr. Abraham Verghese
Mountain View,
CA, February 20, 2012—Acclaimed author
and physician Dr. Abraham Verghese is the keynote speaker for The South Asian
Heart Center's 4th annual “Scarlet Night” gala. The event which takes place on
Saturday, March 24that 6 p.m. at the Santa Clara Convention Center raises
awareness and funds for the Center’s strategic initiatives, including
prevention, physician education, clinical research, and community awareness, aimed
at stemming the epidemic of heart disease among South Asians.
Dr. Verghese is the Senior Associate Chair of the Department
of Internal Medicine and professor at Stanford University
Medical School.
He is also the author of Cutting For Stone and other bestselling books.
Emmy-winning NBC TV news anchor Raj Mathai will emcee the event. The gala,
expected to draw around 800guests, physicians, community and business leaders,
will feature music, comedy, dance and a heart-healthy dinner banquet. One of
the highlights is a casino where guests can play blackjack, roulette and more
and bid on silent and live auction items. The auction will feature personal
chef packages, exciting trips, fine wine and autographed copies of Dr.
Verghese's books.
South Asians have four times greater risk for heart disease than thegeneral population. It strikes them at younger ages, often without prior symptoms or warning. The South Asian Heart Center is the first major nonprofit devoted to addressing this epidemic and receives fiscal support from the El Camino Hospital Foundation, grants and sponsorships from foundations and corporations, and philanthropic gifts and charitable donations from the community.
Scarlet Night is co-chaired by Rita Sharma and Poornima Kumar both of whomhave compelling personal reasons for supporting the Center. Ms.Sharma's father had a heart attack on an international flight and died two days later. “My father was a cardio-thoracic surgeon who had no outward symptoms of heart disease. What shocked me was that he- a heart doctor - had no idea that he himself had heart disease. Iwant to help the Center raise awareness in the South Asian community—and particularly among physicians—of our unique heart risk,” she said.
Ms. Kumar also lost her father to heart disease. “My personal experiences, combined with my career in the pharmaceutical industry have convinced me that prevention and timely intervention can make a huge impact on our health,” she said. “Given our enhanced understanding of the causes of heart disease and easy accessto tools for its management, we do not need to be helpless victims ofour genes.”
Individual tickets range from $125 to $250, and tables of
ten from $1250 to$2500. For tickets or more information, call (650) 940-7242,
visithttp://www.southasianheartcenter.org/scarlet/or email
scarlet@southasianheartcenter.org
Event: ScarletNight
Gala Fundraiser
Date: Saturday, March 24th,2012
Time: 6 p. m.
Location: Mission City
Ballroom, Santa Clara
Convention Center,
5001Great America
Parkway, Santa Clara, CA
CalendarListing Narrative:
The South Asian Heart Center's annual Scarlet Night gala to raise awareness and funds for heart health will be held on Saturday, March 24 at 6pm at the Mission City Ballroom, SantaClara Convention Center, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA. Keynote by acclaimed physician and author Dr. Abraham Verghese. Features music, dance, comedy, a silent and live auction, gourmet banquet, and a casino. Tickets $125 - $250. Call(650) 940-7242, visit www.southasianheartcenter.org/scarlet/ or email scarlet@southasianheartcenter.org