For 18 years the folks from the Henry Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease have held an annual fundraising gala. Recently, this event kicked off with a pre-Benefactors’ party held at Martin’s West. There were many local notables in attendance, including event co-chairs Dr. Roger Blumenthal and Ed Speno, Liz and Tim Rhode (longtime supporters of the event and founders of the Maryland Athletic Club) and Drs. Peter Kwiterovich and Eric Topol, who were the evening’s medical honorees. A special appearance by Johns Hopkins lacrosse coach Dave Pietramala was a definite highlight.

A very special presentation was made to 2008 Heartfest Community honoree Brady Vontran, an 18-year-old Calvert Hall senior who is the founder of Brady’s Heart Foundation. Having been born with a congenital heart defect, Brady has had two open-heart surgeries and requires ongoing medical care. Over the past four years his foundation has raised nearly $100,000 for The Children’s House at Johns Hopkins and The Children’s House at St. Casimir in Baltimore.

Along with Brady’s parents, John and Kelly Vontran, Dr. Duke Cameron paid tribute to this exceptional young man: “I am one of the few people who has seen Brady’s heart, and it’s a good one — a generous one,” Cameron said.

As the main event began, celebrity honoree and cardiologist Dr. Stephen “Stevie V.” Valenti and his band, The Heart Attackers, who have been keeping the beat at Heartfest for 10 years, got a little assistance from civic leader Steve Geppi. Mindy Geppi watched her hubby take the stage with 10-year-old vocal phenom Alexis Biesiada, as guests enjoyed heart-healthy cuisines by many of Baltimore’s elite restaurants and caterers.

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CONGRATS

A special preview party was held for the recent Baltimore Boat Show to benefit the Living Classrooms Foundation. Needless to say, Foundations Senior Vice President Parker Rockefeller was thrilled with the $6,500 that was raised.

Anne Boone-Simanski is the social columnist for The Examiner and can be reached at absss@baltimoreexaminer.com or 410-878-6131.