For Immediate Release

For more information, contact:
Gloria O'Connell, 612-863-4801

Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation gala is Sept. 27

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. 09/17/2008--The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation celebrates "Spirit of the Heart" at the annual Founders Dinner and Gala on Saturday, September 27, 6 p.m., at the Hilton Minneapolis Hotel, 1001 Marquette Ave. S.

Wall Street Journal editor and author Steve McKee is the keynote speaker. McKee’s story of being touched by heart disease is one we can all relate to.

McKee's memoir, "My Father's Heart: A Son's Journey," so impressed physicians at the Minneapolis Heart Institute, they invited him to give an honest testimony of how heart disease impacted his family and why we should all work toward a world without heart disease.

This year's chairs are Sharon and William Hawkins of Wayzata. Hawkins is CEO of Medtronic. KARE-TV's anchor Diana Pierce is the host.

The event also includes a live auction, fine dining, music and dancing. Individual tickets are $250 and tables for ten are $2,500. For more information and tickets, call Kara Schlosser, 612-863-3844.

The Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, located at Allina's Abbott Northwestern Hospital, is creating a world without heart disease through groundbreaking clinical research and innovative educational programs.