Charity Golf Hits $1 Million Mark for Gill Heart

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 17, 2009) -- A lot can happen in a few years.

Just ask Justin Campbell.  In 2004, while the  UK Linda and Jack Gill Heart Institute administrator was knee-deep in signs and donated merchandise for a charity golf event, he stated what seemed like a lofty goal: to raise $1 million in ten years.

Just five years later, after tallying up the results of the sixth annual Gill Heart Institute Golf Classic, a venue to raise money for cardiovascular education and research at UK, Campbell and his staff were able to report that the event, in golf terms, shot a condor (i.e., four under par).

Going into this year’s event, the fund was $105,000 short of hitting $1 million. The final total for this year’s event, which included a golf tournament and silent auction at the Champion Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, exceeded that amount by about $6,000, four years ahead of schedule.

“We can’t say enough how pleased we are at the support we’ve received for this important effort, especially in the face of some daunting economic times,” Campbell said. “I think it shows that people recognize the impact of heart disease on this state in particular, and the important role we have in working to combat it.”

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Kentucky and in the nation. The Gill Heart Institute seeks to address this issue in a number of ways: through research, education and medicine.

While the endowment has been growing over the years,  the Gill Heart Institute has been expanding as well. Since adding Dr. David Moliterno as chief of cardiovascular medicine, the Gill Heart Institute’s offerings have grown at UK Chandler Hospital, UK HealthCare Good Samaritan and a number of outreach clinics around the region, offering patients access to sub-specialties such as electrophysiology (the treatment of heart rhythm disorders), advanced heart failure and transplantation, adult congenital heart disease treatment, cardiac rehabilitation, and advanced cardiovascular imaging, in addition to a number of other services.

“We’re committed to doing all that we can to provide the best possible care to our friends, family members and neighbors. As you can imagine, it’s no small undertaking and requires us to give a large amount of resources of time, effort and finances, and the support of our community is of tremendous value,” Moliterno said. “It’s gratifying to see that something so important to us is also vitally important to others who are committed to supporting these efforts.”