Having a heart for the community and working together to address heart-related needs is what the Salisbury Rowan Heart Fund Ball and its committee is all about.

This year’s Heart Ball, the 56th annual, was held Feb. 10 at the Country Club of Salisbury with 240 in attendance raising more than $24,000, which was presented to three local nonprofits, Community Care Clinic, Main Street Mission and Meals on Wheels. 

During the special event, which was noted to be successful, attendees dined and danced enjoying the music provided by The Queens Court Party Band. To help mark the occasion, Lisa Her Photography captured photographs of all the action during the evening.

Kathryn “Katie” Lipscomb, who served as event chairman, said this event is a group effort, stressing the word group, and that it’s the board of directors of the Salisbury Rowan Heart Fund Ball that makes up the committee to plan and carry it out. This group includes, in addition to Kathryn and Erik Lipscomb, board members, Barbara and Clifford Sorel, Leigh Ann and Tom Loeblein, Fran and Gavin Misner, Kristen and Steven Colwell, LeeAnna and Guy Hoskins, Lauren and Charles Whaley, Renee and Christopher Bradshaw, Robin and Steven Fisher, Katie and Cory Menees, Alice and Ryan Rich, Sherry and Stephen Beck, Jennifer and Ames Flynn, Susie and Carl Ritchie, and Jennifer and Brent Seifert

The Heart Ball began, as noted in some historical tidbits shared by Lipscomb, “when Ann Crouch Isenhour Thompson chaired the local organization in 1968. She tapped Frances Lynn Foil Tatum and Mary Henderson Messinger to chair a new fundraiser, The Heart Ball. These women along with Kay Goodman Wilson, Berta Allen Russ Summerell and others wanted to create an event that would be a long-term source of funds” and it has continued to raise thousands of dollars to fight cardiovascular disease.

This hard work and dedication of those who came before, giving it continuity, made it a success in the past and has continued today, as new people come on the committee and learn, Lipscomb shared.

“Everything is passed down, just learning from the people who came before,” she said. “I think everybody takes the time to lift each other up, to teach” how it was done and learn from each other.

The charities vary from year to year, she said; however, they might give to a certain charity for consecutive years, depending on need, which is how the recipients are selected. Anyone is welcome to make a presentation to the group and share why their organization needs the money. That, along with members learning of needs by word of mouth or through other boards they may serve on, is how they learn of needs.

“So we try to address the ones that are critical for that particular year, she said.”

Some examples have included their learning, many years ago, of a local public school in need of a defibrillator and thus she said they “were very passionate about making sure all the schools had defibrillators and access to them” or helping nurses at Novant establish heart stations or giving to some local preschools or other nonprofits, thus spreading it around.

The board votes every year as to where the money will go, Lipscomb said, “but it is our main objective to make sure that it all stays in Rowan County.”

The money raised each year comes from ticket sales to the event, plus, she added, they have “from time to time, some very benevolent members who feel moved by what we’re doing and donate a little more than just the ticket amount.”

All three of the entities have received their money and expressed gratitude for it.

Krista Woolly, executive director of the Community Care Clinic, 315 Mocksville Ave. in Salisbury, said they would be using the money for heart-related medications for uninsured Rowan County adults.

“We are just extremely grateful for them and have been over the years as they support and keep this money in Rowan County for heart healthy/heart related needs of our residents,” Woolly said.

Noting the long time support they have received, she shared “they take an extra step to keep the money in Rowan County, I think that is very important year after year.”

Meals on Wheels Rowan’s marketing and development director Alexandra Fisher, said that for them, they would be using the funds for their free home delivered meals to their neediest participants.

The nonprofit, located at 1307 S. Salisbury Ave. in Spencer, serves about 300 meals each day through the home-delivered program with 110 of those meals at any one time being free meals.

Each meal, Fisher said, “costs us about $12.80, so the money donated by the Salisbury Rowan Heart Fund Ball will provide about 625 free meals to our most food insecure participants.”

She expressed thanks to them for the very generous donation as they have supported them the past couple of years.

“We appreciate their continued support and then receiving $8,000 this year is going to make even more of an impact than they already have,” she said. 

She concluded by sharing that the seniors in the county are struggling, and thus Meals on Wheels Rowan appreciates all that donate to help them provide these free meals for their neediest clients. 

Hope Oliphant, executive director at Main Street Marketplace and Meeting, 306 S. Main St. in China Grove, said they would be using the funds to support their equitable community market “ensuring everyone can access healthy, local foods through a tiered pricing system based on family size and income.”

Everyone is encouraged to shop, she shared, noting that those who buy items at retail prices help to subsidize food costs for those at lower tiers.

While the tier shoppers cover 88 percent of food costs, contributing to their sustainability, she said, “it’s important to note this revenue doesn’t fully sustain our payroll, as the market has created five additional jobs in the past year. We are actively seeking donations to support the payroll portion of our market operations, and so the donation from the Heart Ball Fund could not have come at a better time,” Oliphant said.

The organization also partners with local farmers to offer fresh produce and offers them a place to sell their goods year-round, plus supporting community health and local agriculture.

“Last year alone, we generated $39,000 for our local farmers. Our market also stocks locally sourced nonfood items that offer income for small businesses in the local community.”

The market currently serves more than 500 families each month in Rowan County, and 80 percent of these families served are of low to moderate income, thus shopping at the wholesale pricing tier and below, Oliphant noted.

“Our organization is pioneering a new approach to helping. This means we are learning exactly what it takes financially to run this type of model. It is for this reason, we could not be more grateful to the Heart Fund Ball in helping us provide healthy food for all promoting long term health for Rowan County residents,” she said.

Even though the 2024 Heart Ball just recently happened, they have already started working on next year’s event with a new leader at the helm. Lipscomb shared she was “very very honored and humbled” having served as chair and is “leaving it in the very capable hands of Leigh Ann Loeblein, who will serve as next year’s chairman.