Published on September 01, 2011

Southern Regional Medical Center Foundation's annual Crescent Ball raises $125,000 for hospital

RIVERDALE, Ga. (Sept. 1, 2011) - The Southern Regional Medical Center (SRMC) Foundation raised $125,000 for the hospital at the annual Crescent Ball on Sat., Aug. 27 at The Foundry at Puritan Mill.

The Crescent Ball, which was attended by over 400 guests, is the foundation's largest fundraiser of the year and celebrates the lives saved at Southern Regional with the use of advanced medical technology purchased with the help of SRMC Foundation donors.

"The support of the community in times like this is overwhelming," Andrea Mendez, development coordinator of the SRMC Foundation, said. "I'm grateful to everyone who supported the Crescent Ball and our mission to help fund our community's hospital, especially our sponsors and guests."

For the first time in the history of the event, a special celebrity guest gave a performance and spoke of the impact Southern Regional has had on her life.

"Six years ago, I was in the dark when it came to my own health," Ann Nesby, two-time Grammy award winner, said. "I had no idea what life-threatening troubles were beneath my very own skin and came to Southern Regional for help."

Nesby, who is best known as the former lead singer of Sounds of Blackness, suffered congestive heart failure in 2005 and was treated at SRMC. Medical professionals say if Nesby hadn't come to Southern Regional when she did, she would have likely suffered a stroke or fatal heart attack within a year.

"One of the biggest things my experience taught me is that being healthy isn't about going to the doctor for a quick fix when something's gone wrong," Nesby said at the Crescent Ball. "Being healthy is about taking care of you - especially your heart and consequently, your soul. In other words, take care of your body and your body will take care of you."