BOSTON, April 20, 2026 - The 2026 Boston Heart and Stroke Ball raised $1.1 million on Saturday, April 11, bringing together Greater Boston leaders, volunteers, survivors and supporters committed to improving heart and brain health across the region. Held at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, the annual event supports the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone, everywhere.
Funds raised will go toward research, improving access to care, advancing public health policies and equipping more people with lifesaving skills like CPR. "This event reflects what's possible when a community comes together around a shared mission," said Christine Akinc, campaign chair and chief corporate communications officer at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
"Heart disease and stroke remain leading causes of death, but we've made tremendous progress. Supporting the American Heart Association helps ensure that progress continues here in Boston and across the country." The Heart and Stroke Ball is part of the American Heart Association's year-round Heart of Boston campaign to improve heart and brain health through research, education, advocacy and access to care.
The 2026 Boston Heart and Stroke Ball convened community leaders, volunteers, survivors and supporters on April 11 at the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport to raise funds for regional and national cardiovascular and cerebrovascular initiatives.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the evening generated $1.1 million intended to support research, expand access to care, influence public health policy, and equip people with lifesaving skills such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
The Ball functions as a signature local component of the AHA’s ongoing Heart of Boston campaign, which the organization describes as a year‑round effort focused on research, education, advocacy and improving access to care.
This account describes a charitable fundraising event rather than a clinical study.
More than 500 guests attended the in‑person program in Boston.
Sponsors and organizers included platform sponsor Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and signature sponsor Amgen; Christine Akinc of Alnylam served as campaign chair.
The event was emceed by Nicole Estaphan of WCVB Channel 5 Boston.
The program incorporated a series of personal testimonies and local exemplars to illustrate how research, community interventions and public education translate into real‑world impacts.
Nayan Sapers, a Harvard student, was noted for advocating to require CPR training in high schools.
Gert McCarthy and her family were described as working to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on athletic fields after the family’s loss to cardiac arrest.
Amar Dhand, M.D., a neurologist affiliated with Mass General Brigham, was noted for research that includes a smartwatch application to monitor social interaction among stroke survivors.
Anita Loscalzo’s life was described as having been saved by CPR performed by her husband following a life‑threatening arterial tear.
Vic Viktorov reportedly adopted a healthier lifestyle and opened a gym following a major heart attack.
Josellah Pina, a 10‑year‑old who underwent heart surgery as an infant after detection of a congenital heart defect, also participated in the program.
The AHA conferred local honors during the event.
James Udelson, M.D., chief of cardiology at Tufts Medical Center and a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, received the Paul Dudley White Award, identified as one of the organization’s highest honors.
Janet McGrail Spillane received the Live Fierce Award, sponsored by Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospitals, in recognition of her community health work and contributions aligned with the AHA mission.
The AHA stated that proceeds from the Ball will support multiple programmatic priorities: funding scientific research, improving clinical access, advancing public health policy, and training community members in lifesaving skills such as CPR.
The source attributes these intended uses to the AHA but does not provide a line‑item breakdown of budget allocations.
The report reiterates the AHA’s position that cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and cites an AHA projection that a substantial proportion of U.S.
adults could have some form of cardiovascular disease by midcentury.
The article frames the Ball as a community mobilization to sustain investments in prevention, treatment and research, consistent with the AHA’s broader mission to promote longer, healthier lives and equitable health across communities.
The source is an event summary and does not present primary research data or clinical outcomes.
Specifics absent from the report include: a detailed breakdown of how the $1.1 million will be allocated across programs; any metrics to quantify the immediate or long‑term impact of funds raised; demographic details of attendees beyond general descriptors; operational costs of the event; and any independent evaluation of the programs or interventions described.
The narrative relies on individual stories and organizational statements rather than new empirical evidence.
By featuring survivors, frontline public health workers, clinician‑researchers and student advocates, the event highlighted multiple pathways by which advocacy, community engagement and research can intersect in local settings.
The Ball’s activities were positioned as part of the AHA’s strategy to translate scientific advances into community practice through funding, education and policy advocacy.
The source does not report on any measurable changes in community health indicators resulting from prior similar events.