BOLIVAR — The fourth annual Hearts for Isabella CHD HeartRaiser — an effort to raise awareness of and funding to benefit families with children facing congenital heart disease — is 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Bolivar Golf Club.
Planned for the event are tethered hot air balloon rides, a silent auction and raffle, 50/50, beverages and pulled pork dinners, a golf tournament, wine pull and live music.
There will also be costume characters to greet and interact with children, face painting and air brush tattooing, a vendor craft show, appearance by noted artist Eric Jones, a children’s painting event and participation by the Bolivar Fire Department and EMS.
The annual CHD HeartRaiser is in memory of Isabella Annelise Dombrowski.
Hearts For Isabella hosts the family-friendly event with activities that bring the community together and raises awareness of congenital heart disease. Funds help send “heart warriors” facing CHD to Heart Camp as well as boosting hospital toy drives, hospital snow sculptures and research to find a cure.
The organization is still seeking corporate sponsors, volunteers, vendors, golf teams and basket donations. Call (607) 661-7782 or (716) 904-3420, or email heartsforisabella for information or to help.
Organizers offer a Paypal opetion for donations at HeartsForIsabella as well as Venmo, while checks may be mailed directly to Hearts For Isabella, Inc., 15 Elmwood Ave., Friendship, N.Y., 14739.
Hearts for Isabella is a non-profit organization created in memory of little Isabella Annelise Dombrowski, who passed away Isabella passed away at just 3 months old in February 2020 — she lived 97 days before losing her battle to CHD following complications of open heart surgery.
One in 100 babies are born with a heart defect, the Dombrowskis note. In Isabella’s case, she was born with half a heart, a condition called hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS), a more complex CHD that is a one in 10,000 statistic.
Her parents say Bella defied many odds in the short 3 months of her life, inspiring hope to those fighting CHD.
