Award Ceremony to take place at a private pre-Oscar party at Hollywood’s Avalon Theater
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aviir, a biotechnology company specializing in cardiac risk assessment and Guard A Heart, a non-profit foundation dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease, announced they will be presenting the first Guardian of Hearts Award to Larry King in recognition of his contribution to saving lives through The Larry King Cardiac Foundation.
During the event, they will also honor Dr. Louis Ignarro, co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research in the prevention of heart disease.
The awards will be presented at a private pre-Oscar party to be held at the Avalon Theater in Hollywood on February 25, 2012. This gathering will bring together foreign dignitaries, politicians, sports figures, prominent physicians and celebrities to honor the awardees. The celebration is being produced by Connected Gift Rooms a company that has planned entertainment events for more than a decade.
The exclusive gala marks the launch of Guard A Heart’s “Know Your Risk, Save A Life” campaign to raise awareness about the importance of effective risk assessment in the prevention of heart attacks. Doug Harrington, M.D., CEO of Aviir Heart Laboratories and Tom Quertermous, M.D., Director, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine (Research) at Stanford Cardiovascular Medicine, Falk CVRC and Philip S. Tsao, PhD Associate Professor of Medicine Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, will present the award to Mr. King.
“It is our great pleasure to participate in this event honoring Larry King. He has literally saved thousands of lives through the work of his foundation, making critical treatment available for those without the means to afford it,” said Dr. Harrington. “We are also delighted to honor Dr. Louis Ignarro with the Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award for his influential work regarding heart health." He added, that because of dedicated professionals like Dr. Ignarro, foundations such as Guard a Heart and The Larry King Cardiac foundation have a better chance at reducing the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease, which is currently the leading cause of death in the United States.
Aviir is a biotechnology company founded by cardiologists and scientists at Stanford University, dedicated to the prevention of cardiovascular disease through innovative laboratory tests.
About Aviir
Aviir was founded in 2005 by cardiologists and scientists from the Stanford University School of Medicine to focus on discovery, development and commercialization of innovative diagnostic tests. The biotechnology company specializes in developing proprietary diagnostic tests that will assist in identifying patients that are truly at high risk for the development of a cardiac event. Aviir’s proprietary MIRisk and TruRisk assessments objectively identify, by a simple blood draw, individuals who are at a high risk of a cardiac event over the next five years. Aviir’s CLIA laboratory (Irvine, CA) complements these novel tests with a wide range of additional tests for risk assessment and therapeutic monitoring of cardiovascular disease and related metabolic disorders – including pharmacogenomic and genetic tests. The company has adopted a unique clinical laboratory service model to provide physicians better diagnostic tools that improve cardiovascular health of their patients. The company is privately owned and funded by leading life science venture capital firms. Please visit www.aviir.com for more information.
About Guard A Heart
Guard A Heart is a non-profit foundation dedicated to raising awareness of heart disease prevention by spreading the word to guard your heart and save your life. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. If individuals know their risk and take the necessary steps, the good news is that most cardiovascular disease is preventable. Although heart disease is typically diagnosed in adulthood, its roots are often found in childhood. Compelling research has shown that plaque buildup in the arterial walls begins very early in life and progresses through increasing degrees of atherosclerosis. Intervention strategies and healthy lifestyle changes to reduce heart disease risk should begin in childhood when reversal of the process is easier, not later in life when the disease is more fully developed. Guard a Heart Foundation provides funding for individuals who are unable to pay for cardiac risk assessments. Please visit www.guardaheart.org for more information.
About The Larry King Cardiac Foundation
The Larry King Cardiac Foundation (LKCF) was established in 1988 to provide funding for life-saving treatment for individuals who, due to limited means or no insurance, would otherwise be unable to receive the treatment and care they so desperately need. The Foundation works in conjunction with hospitals throughout the nation to ensure that such patients receive proper medical attention. Doctors performing these surgeries do so at no charge. Hospitals are compensated only for the materials used. Hearts are repaired. Families are given another chance. Lives are saved. The LKCF is a non-profit organization funded from the proceeds of Mr. King's books, speaking engagements, and from entertainment galas conducted in New York City, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. The LKCF is affiliated with eight premier Cardiac Centers: Children's National Medical Center and George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Los Angeles County + USC in Los Angeles, California, New York Presbyterian: The University Hospital of Columbia and Weill Cornell University Medical Center in New York, NY, St. Joseph's Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and The Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. LKCF also works in conjunction with Venice Family Clinic in Venice, California. Please visit www.lkcf.org for more information
About Connected Gift Rooms
Connected Gift Rooms has over 10 years of working side-by-side with some of the most prestigious film, television and music event in today's entertainment world. Their ongoing relationships with celebrities have proven to provide a unique level of trust and reliability that allows Connected Gift Rooms to continue to provide their unique services.
CONTACT:
For media inquiries and to obtain approval to cover the event, please contact:
Connected Gift Rooms
Steve Stein
310-505-8061
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America California
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Entertainment Health Biotechnology Cardiology Celebrity Philanthropy Research Science Foundation Fund Raising
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