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Photos by Jay Paul
(From left) Joel and Jennifer Griffin; Ellie, Elizabeth and Jim Whelan
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Photos by Jay Paul
Latin Ballet of Virginia dancers LaWanda Raines and Roberto Whitaker
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Photos by Jay Paul
Event chair Jim Dunn, vice president for advocacy and community affairs with Bon Secours Richmond Health System (left); and Tim McManus, CEO of Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals
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Photos by Jay Paul
Sam Spaulding and Amanda Phearsdorf
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Photos by Jay Paul
Monica Doyle (from left), Kay and Jeremy Josselyn
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Photos by Jay Paul
The Science Museum of Virginia’s rotunda was transformed for the event.
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Photos by Jay Paul
Alexis Chambers (left) and her mother, Samantha White
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Gwyneth's Law Saves Lives in Virginia
A highlight of the 2014 ball, held April 26, was the debut of a video (see last slide) telling the stories of two families: Joel and Jennifer Griffin, along with the American Heart Association, were the driving force behind 2013 legislation that requires CPR training for all Virginia teachers and for high school students — starting with ninth graders entering in 2016 — before they graduate. The law is named in honor of the Griffins’ daughter, Gwyneth, who went into cardiac arrest at her middle school in Stafford County, did not receive CPR for at least 10 minutes, and later died at age 13. Elizabeth Whelan credits Gwyneth’s Law with saving the life of her daughter, Ellie, who went into cardiac arrest last fall at her high school in Petersburg and received CPR from teachers who had completed training just two weeks before. The Heart Ball raised about $708,000 for cardiac research and education.
