Become involved in our Special Appeal.  Click Here to Donate Online.

The Andrew Woodfin Miller Foundation has generously committed to match funds raised through the Children’s Health Special Appeal.*  Your gift will now go twice as far to help fund research and education that can help our children lead longer, happier, and healthier lives.  You can give online (above) or Raise Your Paddle during the Special Appeal at the Heart Ball.

*Up to $75,000

Learn and Live Special Appeal - Children's Health

The 2009 Rutherford Heart Ball's Learn and Live Special Appeal is focused on improving and protecting the health of American's children.  By participating in this very special appeal, you are not only help to protect children and their futures, but also protect the future of the mission of the American Heart Association.  Our work towards building healthier lives, free from cardiovascular diseases and stroke is seeing positive results and we cannot allow that trend to reverse.  The children of today must not become the heart and stroke patients of tomorrow if we are to continue to make the lives of all Americans healthier. 
Did you know ...
  • Today, more than 1 million Americans live with congenital cardiovascular defects?  Each year about 36,000 babies are born with heart defects. 
  • Nearly four times as many children die from congenital heart defects as from all forms of childhood cancers combined.  
  • More than 9.2 million children and adolescents ages 6-19 are overweight or obese. 
  • Overweight children have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
  •  For the first time ever, in 2002 there were more admissions for obesity than for malnutrition, according to a study presented at the 2007 conference of Obesity Society in New Orleans.
  • About 60% of children ages 9-13 get no exercise.
Our children are fighting for their health and their lives, sometimes even before they are born.  Our children deserve the best that we can give them.  By dedicating a significant portion of our spending to research, the American Heart Association is working to uncover groundbreaking research and treatments.  New information in the areas of congenital heart defects, heart transplants in children, cholesterol levels in teens and diabetes rates in children as well as adolescents are just a few areas we are currently investigating.
This year, more than 7,600 schools are participating in Hoops for Heart with 770,000 kids playing basketball.  More than 28,600 schools are participating in Jump Rope for Heart with 6.6 million kids jumping rope.  The American Heart Association has invested more than $2.6 billion in research since 1949, and more than $1 billion in the past 10 years.  Since 2003, over 41.1 million has been committed in research toward children.  We can't do it without you.
Help us help the children of our future!

Become involved in our Special Appeal.  Click Here to Donate Online.