NILES, Ohio - The Mahoning Valley came together Thursday to focus on the heart of the community.

It was a record breaking year filled with love and support for the American Heart Association. The Annual Tri-County Heart Ball aims to celebrate driving change and scientific research, all while advancing health and hope.

The American Heart Association is celebrating it's 100th year as it continues to save lives and pioneer scientific discoveries.

The Heart of Tri-County campaign unites supporters with a shared purpose to raise the critical funds needed to continue its lifesaving work.

"It does not discriminate," explained Christina Dascenzo, Co-Chair of the 2024 Tri-County Heart Ball. "It can affect people of any age. It can affect people who live an active lifestyle. We're now getting more studies from the American Heart Association linking cardiovascular disease with dementia and cognition. There's a lot still to be learned."

21 News Anchor Derek Steyer was back to emcee the event again this year, held at the Eastwood Mall Event Center.

The CDC says over 700,000 people die of heart disease every year, making it the leading cause of death in the US. Death by stroke comes in fifth, with over 165,000 deaths every year.

"Anything that we can do to continue to heighten awareness of the threats of cardiovascular disease and stroke is vitally important to the American Heart Association's mission," explained Lisa Wheeler-Cooper, Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Division of the American Heart Association. 

"We are proud to have over 350 attendees this evening," Wheeler-Cooper added. "This is a record-breaking event here in the Valley."

The event celebrated survivors of cardiovascular complications. 8-year-old Alex Lucas suffered a heart attack at the South Avenue Giant Eagle when she was just 5 years old.

"At that point, I realized Alex wasn't breathing," explained Tiffany Adkins, one of the Giant Eagle employees who saved Alex's life. "She was turning blue so it was time to start CPR."

Giant Eagle corporate policy requires managers to be trained in CPR and how to use an AED. Employees like Adkins's quick actions saved the young girl's life.

"You never think you're going to walk into a situation like that," Adkins explained. "There's so many people that you come across every day that just don't know what to do and don't know how to respond. I feel very fortunate to be able to do that."

Alex suffers from CPVT, an inherited cardiac condition that causes sudden rhythm disturbances, called arrhythmias, in healthy children. Her mother told 21 News she is doing well and wears a portable AED.

Through the four chambers of impact: advocacy, discovery, knowledge and equity; the American Heart Association is able to build community full of health and hope, as it's mission continues.

"We are spotlighting those four chambers and highlighting individuals that have been doing work in those areas," Wheeler-Cooper concluded. 

"Over the past 100 years of the American Heart Association, we've gone from large pacemakers to implantable pacemakers," Christina Dascenzo explained. "The AHA has funded research to develop new medications to treat heart disease, cholesterol, and diabetes and we want to keep that going."

"Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley continuously show what a great community we are," explained Jim Dascenzo, Co-Chair of the 2024 Tri-County Heart Ball. "The support from the business community and people attending the event had been great."

Michael McDuff was recognized as the 2024 Heart Hero recipient.

Just visit the American Heart Association's website to learn how you can contribute.