The Mid-Missouri chapter of the American Heart Association made close to its $210,000 goal at Saturday's annual Heart Ball.
"It was a phenomenal event," said Kelly Trigg, the chapter's corporate events director. "It was a lot of fun, and a lot of money was raised. We couldn't do it without the support of the community."
About 700 people attended the dance, which featured live music from Five Turn Knot. The event also featured live and silent auctions, with Bill Gratz as the auctioneer. KRCG's Rod Smith and KMOS radio's Warren Krech emceed the event.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Missouri. In Cole County in 2012, 31 percent of deaths were related to heart disease and stroke. "Our mission by 2020 is to build healthier lives free of cardio-vascular disease and stroke," Trigg said.
This year's Heart Star was Patty NcNelly. Tessa and Emma Markway of Frankenstein shared the honor of being this year's Heart Child.