YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - One of the Valley's biggest social events and premier fundraisers for the American Heart Association is having to go virtual this year.

"At the Heart Association, we are really focused on making sure that our survivors and our volunteers, they're the most susceptible to some of these, the Covid-19 and things like that, so we really wanted to make sure they felt safe this year and we also want to make sure we are still celebrating all of the hard work and the mission of the Heart Association that goes into one of our events," said Tracy Behnke, Executive Director for the American Heart Association.

Embracing the new normal, the 2020 Tri-County Heart Ball can be attended from the comforts of your own home via Zoom. WFMJ-TV is the media sponsor and 21 News Anchor Derek Steyer will be the emcee for the event.

"It's really going to visually take you to another place," Behnke said. "We're going to have some live entertainment, we'll have a musician, we'll have a comedy show, we're going to have some magic and then you'll be able to support the mission of the Heart Association."

That mission remains critical. The money raised from the event goes to such things as funding lifesaving research, supporting health and education programs and reducing the devastating effects of cardiovascular disease.

"It will be a great opportunity just to connect and have a fun night with everybody in these really crazy times that we're going through," said Jeffrey Ryznar, Co-Chair of the 2020 Tri-County Heart Ball. It might not be the same as we had always hoped for with the Heart Ball but it's still going to have the same comradery, the same entertainment and the same experience and raising awareness for something that's very, very important for the health of all of our Valley."

"I hope it raises awareness about heart disease and it's impact and not just in older populations but younger populations," said Dr. Meredythe McNally, Co-Chair of the 2020 Tri-County Heart Ball. "I hope people come together and have a great time, having some comradery and just visiting with each other."

You will also get to hear from the Franklin family. Their son, Wesley, is the 2020 Heart Child. The Franklin's hope his amazing story of recovery will raise awareness about heart disease.

"It's one of those things you never, you don't really think about until it happens to you and we've never heard about that in our lives until you have to deal with it so just to think being aware of that congenital heart defects is something that happens every day to people and just understand that there are people out there that will help you get through it," said Will Franklin.

"The magician, it's a husband and wife team called the Alan's, they're absolutely amazing and then Kevin Lawson is gonna bring a little bit of the rat pack and some of the crooner music to everybody so it's going to be a night for every member of your family, every friend of yours and really for everyone in the Mahoning Valley to just have a night to smile and just be together," Ryznar said.

You can help the American Heart Association raise money in several different ways.

"We definitely have some different ways for people to get engaged," Behnke said. "We have our silent auction which is live right now, and we will also have some items up for live auction as well for some really cool experiences and packages that were donated and then people can again just give a gift, open their heart to the Heart Association."

To register for the 2020 Tri-County Heart Ball, just go to heart.org/tricountyheartball or contact Tracy Behnke at tracy.behnke@heart.org.

Here is the website for the silent auction:  https://TriCountyAuction.ggo.bid

Once you register, you will be sent an email with all the instructions. Dress up, dress down, have fun and help out the American Heart Association.