The Beat Goes On Gala Raises $800,000 for Congenital Heart Health and Biomedical Engineering Research

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Sept. 11, 2016) -

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The 3^rd annual The Beat Goes On Gala was held on September 10, 2016 in support of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, an entity of Alberta Health Services and the University of Calgary. This outstanding event drew a crowd of 420 attendees from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, along with Libin Institute ambassadors and donors. Proceeds of approximately $800,000 were raised bringing the three year total to $2.75-million which will go towards cardiovascular care and research in southern Alberta.

"The community's giving spirit never ceases to amaze me and it was seen this evening at The Beat Goes On Gala," says Ken King, gala co-chair and president/CEO, Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation. "This event has proven to be integral to the ongoing advancement of heart health research and care delivery, and through the community's generosity the gala can continue this legacy of excellence."

Gala proceeds will go towards the adult congenital heart disease transition program that supports patients born with heart defects as they advance from adolescence to adulthood, and to support cardiovascular biomedical engineering research in a variety of areas from imaging to electrical modelling.

"As a former cardiac patient, I can attest firsthand that Calgary has some of the best cardiac expertise in the world," says Tony Dilawari, gala co-chair and partner of the Dilawri Group of Companies. "The folks at the Libin Institute are world-class and the community should be proud to know that through their support, they are enabling greatness."

The gala was held once again at the BMO Centre's Palomino Room. Guests were treated to wonderful musical performances from nine year old prodigy Harry Knight who played during dinner and then a concert from JUNO-Award winner Jim Cuddy and his band, The Jim Cuddy Trio, to cap off the evening.

The Libin Institute would like to thank gala co-chairs Tony Dilawri and Ken King, as well as the gala implementation partners the Calgary Health Trust and the fund development office within the University of Calgary's Cumming School of Medicine. It looks forward to hosting the community once again for the 4^th annual Libin Institute's The Beat Goes On Gala in 2017.

For more information on The Beat Goes On Gala: LibinBeat.ca and @LibinBeat.

Further Libin Institute information: Libininstitute.org and @LibinInstitute

The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta

The Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta coordinates cardiovascular science research, education and care delivery as an entity of the University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services (Calgary). The Libin Institute comprises 175 research and/or clinicians members who through 1,500 staff serve two million people in southern Alberta, Saskatchewan, and eastern British Columbia. It is committed to delivering exceptional education, training, and to developing outstanding cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention programs by translating innovative research into novel healthcare solutions.

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