Chelsea Clinton Champions La 'Joie de Vivre' At D.C. Heart Ball; $1.18M Raised At Annual AHA Benefit

Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton served as the 2015 Heart Ball's guest of honor.

Be sure to check out all 40 of our photographs from this event HERE!

The Guest List:

SOUTHWEST -- The ballrooms of Washington's posh Mandarin Oriental hotel overflowed with an undeniable 'Joie de Vivre' on Saturday evening, as the American Heart Association of Greater Washington hosted its signature annual black tie gala.


Appropriately titled the 'Heart Ball', the elegant affair brought together more than 500 of the region's most prominent corporate, medical, philanthropic, and community leaders to celebrate the work of the AHA and the culmination of American Heart Month.



The theme for this year's ball -- the French phrase for 'the joy of life' -- was intended to complement the organization's new anthem: Life is Why.



Helping champion the AHA's mission was Clinton Foundation Vice Chair Chelsea Clinton, who served as the 2015 guest of honor.


The former first daughter's keynote speech was far more than just an example of a famous face lending support to a charitable cause, however. Clinton has a very personal reason for specifically advocating for greater heart health, with her father, former President Bill Clinton, just having narrowly avoided a heart attack four years after leaving office.



Joining the younger Clinton at Saturday's benefit were a bevy of VIPs and young professionals, including Kay Kapoor, President of AT&T Government Solutions and the 2015 Heart Ball Chair, and Lieutenant General Patricia Horoho, Surgeon General of the US Army.


Beyond the usual program of live and silent auctions and dinner and dancing, the 2015 Heart Ball included a special presentation honoring U.S. military doctors and nurses via an extraordinary 'Heart Heroes' initiative.


The night also boasted an official after party, Heart After Dark, which drew an infusion of Washington twenty and thirty-somethings to the Mandarin and kept the celebration going all the way to 1am.


All together, this year's event raised $1,186,000. Joie de vivre, indeed!

Be sure to check out all 40 of our photographs from this event HERE!