By Sarah Kuper
When Dr. Derrill Crowe was approached to be the 2017 Heart Ball honoree, he said he would do it, but only if his wife was an honoree as well.
For the 30th anniversary of the event, which benefits the American Heart Association, organizers thought it was fitting to have Derrill and his wife, Cameron, as hosts and honorees.
“So many people have poured into this cause over the years and it is fitting to represent the male and female population. Heart disease affects us all,” Crowe said.
Derrill Crowe practiced medicine as a urologist for many years and he is the founder of ProAssurance, a medical liability insurance company. As a result of his influence in the area in the medical and business fields, Crowe was inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame and the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame in 2008.
The couple is not only active with the American Heart Association, but they also are physically active. Both longtime runners, the Crowes know well the cardiovascular benefits of exercise.
That’s one reason they said they will focus their energy as honorees on prevention of heart disease, especially among young people.
“We believe the more people are educated about heart health at a young age, the more they will respect their physical body which, in turn, will make them better citizens,” Cameron Crowe said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.
And, according to the American Heart Association, Alabama has the second-highest death rate from cardiovascular disease in the nation.
The Crowes said they aren’t surprised by this statistic.
“If you go shopping in the average shopping center or go to Walmart, you get a good idea of what we are talking about. It is a problem in this state,” said Derrill Crowe.
Cameron Crowe said one thing she wants people to understand is that being heart healthy doesn’t have to be all-consuming.
“It just needs to be a lifestyle. You don’t have to spend every second of every day thinking about it. It is just a matter of good choices.”
Besides encouraging youth education, the Crowes are excited to promote individual giving at this year’s Heart Ball.
“The Heart Ball is notoriously a corporate event and we appreciate that great support, but we also know that when people give they are invested on a personal level,” Derrill Crowe said.
This year’s fundraising goal is $1.6 million dollars.
“We expect to see a tremendous increase in individual giving but we are not seeing our corporate giving decreasing at all,” Derrill Crowe said.
For the sixth year in a row, Wells Fargo is the signature sponsor of the event and the mission champion of the ball is ProAssurance, the company Derrill Crowe founded.
The Heart Ball is Saturday, March 4, at Barber Motorsports Museum. Tickets are on sale through the association’s website.
Last year’s Heart Ball raised $1.3 million dollars.
For more information about the American Heart Association and The Heart Ball visit heart.org/centralalabama.
