According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.
For our Women’s Issue, we connected with five members of the Heart Ball committee to understand the why behind their involvement.
In their own words, they share what drives them, what they’ve learned, and why this work matters far beyond a single evening.
Kendra Riley
At 14, my heart would start racing unexpectedly. Sometimes it lasted minutes, sometimes over an hour. I wore a heart monitor, and the doctors told me I could continue living with it, but it would likely increase over time.
By the time I was 20 at the University of Arizona, it was happening so often that I struggled to walk up stairs. That’s when I had heart surgery. Using heat, they destroyed the extra electrical pathway causing the issue.
It’s been 23 years, and I haven’t had a problem since.
That experience, combined with my father’s own heart condition, is what inspired me to give back and raise awareness through the American Heart Association.
Being part of the Heart Ball Committee goes far beyond one evening. It’s about education. It’s about helping people understand how common heart issues really are. Every single person on our committee has a story.
What I wish more people understood is how preventable so much of this can be. The numbers are real, but so is our ability to change them.
DeeDee Vecchione
My connection to heart health has always been my family.
Both my parents had strokes. Several of my uncles had heart attacks, some resulting in sudden death. But the moment that changed everything for me was my husband’s diagnosis.
He hit his head at work while picking up a pen. That led to a CT scan. His head was fine, but the scan revealed plaque in his heart. After further testing, we learned he needed a quadruple bypass.
He had absolutely no symptoms. He was active and healthy, so the diagnosis was a complete shock.
That experience taught us how silent heart disease can be and how important it is to advocate for your own health. There are diagnostic tools available, but many are only used when symptoms appear. We have learned you have to ask questions. You have to push for answers.
The work of the American Heart Association provides life saving tools, research, and treatment, but education is just as important.
People hear “know your numbers,” but it’s more than that. It’s understanding what those numbers actually mean. Calcium scores, stress tests, genetic markers. These are the things that can save your life.
If my husband hadn’t hit his head that day, I would be telling a very different story.
Andrea Robertson
My connection to heart health started with my father.
He had a TIA stroke that almost went undiagnosed. Because of my experience advocating for my daughter, I knew how to push for answers. That instinct changed everything.
We discovered he needed a triple bypass, with one artery completely blocked. The surgery was successful, but years later, those bypasses failed.
Because of research and advancements made possible by the American Heart Association, my father became one of the first patients in the country to receive a breakthrough device that cleared his arteries.
Today, he is doing incredibly well. Without that technology, he would not be here.
That is what this means to me.
The Heart Ball is more than an event. It is innovation, education, and advocacy. It is women coming together to create real change in our community.
And it became personal for me in another way.
What I thought was stress turned out to be AFib. Because of what I learned, I recognized the signs and got help. That knowledge changed everything.
Denise Voss, 2026 Phoenix Heart Ball Chairman
My connection to heart health is both deeply personal and rooted in the community around me. Over the years, I’ve seen how heart disease touches nearly every family, from friends to loved ones to so many individuals right here in Phoenix.
At our Heart Ball Kick Off, I asked the room to raise their hand if they had been impacted by heart disease. Nearly every hand went up. That moment has stayed with me. It reinforced just how real and shared this is.
Since joining the Heart Ball committee, I’ve come to understand the depth of that impact and the responsibility we carry to create change. I serve because I know we can make a difference.
While the Heart Ball is a meaningful evening, the work is year-round. It’s about advancing the mission of the American Heart Association by funding critical research, expanding CPR and AED training, and improving community health through education and prevention.
Real impact happens when a community comes together with purpose.
Beatrice “Bea” Rocklin
My passion for supporting the American Heart Association comes from a deeply personal connection to heart disease in my family. For generations, men on my father’s side suffered from strokes and heart attacks. After losing my father 17 years ago, I made it a priority to educate myself and my loved ones on recognizing warning signs and reducing risk factors.
That knowledge became lifesaving when I was able to help a family member receive urgent care during a stroke, minimizing long-term effects. It reinforced just how critical awareness and quick action can be.
More recently, losing my brother to a heart attack at a young age has deepened my commitment even further. It’s why I continue to advocate for heart health, promote CPR training, and encourage healthier lifestyles within our community.
While the Heart Ball is an incredible annual event, the work extends far beyond one evening. Through my work and volunteering, I stay closely involved in advancing the mission of the American Heart Association across Arizona.
I work alongside leaders at the state and city level to help identify funding opportunities and support policies that improve community health. I’m committed to initiatives that raise awareness, strengthen access, and create lasting impact.
It's never too late to take control of your heart health.
IG @heartballphoenix