The Dilworth Paxson chairman led the charge to raise some $2 million to support various AHA initiatives.
The grand ballroom of the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott was awash in red on a cold Saturday evening this past February, as hundreds of the region’s luminaries gathered in their finest crimsons for the American Heart Association of Philadelphia’s Heart Ball, an annual charity gala whose renowned opulence is rivaled only by its unparalleled capacity as a finely tuned fundraising juggernaut.
Among the Philadelphia luminaries in attendance was venture capitalist, philanthropist and Dilworth Paxson Chairman & CEO Ajay Raju.
Raju, who had led the charge to raise some $2 million to support AHA initiatives in cardiovascular research, professional and community education, and advocacy efforts, was there to be feted by the AHA with its “Heart of Philadelphia” award, an honor previously bestowed upon former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, among other titans of Philadelphia’s civic pantheon.
Following a surprise tribute video and an introduction by former Lt. Gov. James Cawley, Raju spoke to the attendees about the “invisible grand canyon” that separates Philadelphia’s poorest citizens from the region’s abundant medical, technological, cultural and educational riches. To an audience composed largely of inventors, investors and consumers of those riches, Raju placed a call to action, exhorting the city’s elites to “democratize to the fruits of innovation to save lives, enhance lives and outsmart the scourge of poverty.”
Emphasizing the imperative not to regard suffering Philadelphians “as specks on a faraway horizon, but as our neighbors”, Raju made the case that the same talent and vision that has led to the development of game-changing treatments for ALS, heart disease and stroke, might also be deployed to reach out across Philadelphia’s socioeconomic divide.
Before yielding the stage to a fast-talking auctioneer who would prod gala guests to bid aggressively on wine tastings, African safaris and Tuscan villas, Ajay reminded the assembled revelers that their generosity was the key to “building a bridge of hope to the hopeless, relief to the suffering, and shared sustainable prosperity to all Philadelphians.”
2017 Philadelphia Heart Ball
2017 Philadelphia Heart Ball from XTRAS on Vimeo.
Ajay Raju Tribute Video
Ajay Raju Tribute Video from XTRAS on Vimeo.