On December 7, 1995, Steve Cohen came home from work, changed his clothes, kissed his wife and two daughters and walked out the door to play his weekly basketball game with friends. Neither Steve nor his wife could know what would follow. During the basketball game, this healthy-looking, 35-year-old man suffered a massive heart attack that took his life.

Just two months prior to his death, Steve received a clean bill of health at his annual check-up. However, the check-up did not include cardiac screenings that could have identified the coronary artery disease that caused his sudden, fatal heart attack. Steve was one of the estimated 250,000 Americans who experienced sudden cardiac death that year, many of whom, like Steve, were young, seemingly healthy and never suspected they had heart disease.

Steve’s friends, family, and community members formed The Heart Foundation (originally named The Steven S. Cohen Heart Fund) in 1996 in an effort to prevent others from suffering the devastating loss of a loved one to heart disease. Now in its 29th year, the foundation remains dedicated to increasing awareness of this often silent killer, educating the public, and funding innovative research at Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai under the direction of world-renowned cardiologist Dr. P.K. Shah.

Heart disease is the #1 cause of death for both women and men in the United States and claims approximately one million lives annually. In fact, more die of heart disease than of AIDS and all cancers combined. By supporting this golf tournament, you help save lives by providing critical funding for improved methods of heart disease prevention, detection, and treatment. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you .

For more information, call (818) 865-1100 or visit www.TheHeartFoundation.org