Foundation for transplant patients to donate a portion of ticket sales to hurricane relief fund at annual charity event
NEW YORK, NY – October 31, 2012 – The Eric De La Cruz Hope For Hearts Foundation announced today it will be donating a portion of every ticket sold for its upcoming Autumn Fundraiser to the local chapter of the American Red Cross for its hurricane relief fund, to assist those recently affected by Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath.
“I live in downtown Manhattan and am shocked at how badly parts of my neighborhood – as well as many others up and down the east coast – have been affected by Hurricane Sandy,” stated Hope For Hearts founder Veronica De La Cruz. “There are many people in the region who’ve been greatly impacted by this storm and are in need of immediate assistance. What I know is that New Yorkers are resilient people who stick together in a time of need and I believe it’s up to each one of us to do our part. Even though Hope for Hearts works primarily with heart transplant patients, the community has consistently demonstrated their humanity by supporting our efforts for our patients and the least we can do right now is give back. I am proud to do whatever I can to help in the recovery efforts so we can, once again, stand strong as the community I know, love and am so grateful to be a part of.
“The Eric De La Cruz Hope For Hearts Foundation strives to do its best when it comes to helping others,” added De La Cruz. “We are proud to do what we can by donating a portion of the proceeds from our Autumn Gala to those affected by the storms.”
Scheduled for Friday, November 9th at SoHo’s Porsche Design, the Hope For Hearts Autumn Fundraiser is the largest annual event for the Foundation, whose mission is to provide financial assistance to heart transplant patients and their families who cannot meet the costs of a second chance at life. The Foundation was established in 2010 by television journalist Veronica De La Cruz, whose brother Eric died while awaiting a heart transplant that had been delayed by insurance denials.
In fact, the Foundation’s Autumn Fundraiser will be held downtown, in one of Lower Manhattan’s affected areas. Promising to be the organization’s most highly attended event of the year, the Autumn Fundraiser will feature a cocktail hour, followed by a buffet dinner, entertainment, and a silent auction. Items scheduled to be auctioned off include a one-week stay at a Thailand resort and anchor-led tours of NBC studios. Guest speakers include healthcare advocate Wendell Potter and heart transplant recipient Colby Salerno. Doors to the event will open at 7:00 pm.
Tickets for Hope For Hearts’ First Autumn Fundraiser are available for $100 to $250 through the official event webpage at http://www.hopeforheartsfoundation.org/wordpress1/gala.
About the Eric De La Cruz Hope For Hearts Foundation
The Eric De La Cruz Hope for Hearts Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides financial assistance, educational resources and advocacy for heart transplant patients. Founded by TV journalist Veronica De La Cruz in honor of her brother Eric, the Foundation exists to fulfill his wish that no heart transplant patient would ever again have to suffer because of a lack of insurance or the inability to pay for life-saving medical treatment. If you would like to learn more about the Eric De La Cruz Hope For Hearts Foundation, please visit the organization’s website at www.hopeforheartsfoundation.org.
About The American Red Cross
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Currently, you can help by donating blood or by volunteering at a shelter for those suffering from the storm’s aftermath. To learn how to volunteer with The American Red Cross in New York, please visit www.nyredcross.org/?nd=news_room_detail&news_id=606&jid=63321. You may also make a financial gift by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
For a PDF of this release, please click here.
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