American Heart Association to honor volunteer during gala
Leda Gismondi has dedicated her life to making sure that money is available for research in the ongoing fight against heart disease. The Uniontown woman’s never-ending commitment to volunteer her time and to raise money for the non-profit organization led the Fayette County Division of the American Heart Association to honor Gismondi during this year’s Heart Rock Gala.
The gala is expected to draw a sold-out crowd of more than 620 people Saturday to the Chateau Lafayette at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa near Farmington. It will mark the third time that Gismondi has served as the chairperson for the group’s largest fund-raising event of the year.
“She is a remarkable woman, who is so dedicated to the American Heart Association and other charities,” said Cindy Digga, director for the association’s Fayette County Division, during a recent interview. “We are so grateful that we have her in our community and our lives. Leda is just wonderful, and she deserves everything that she receives.”
Digga said she is very impressed by Gismondi and other volunteers, who devote hundreds and even thousands of hours to raising money for the non-profit group and organizing the gala each year.
“We really have a special group of volunteers and staff members, who spend countless hours working to make the gala possible each year,” Digga said. “We have about 50 volunteers, who work the night of the gala. The volunteer-driven gala is a well-regarded event in the community, in the state and even across the nation.”
After her husband, James, died of a heart attack in 1974, Gismondi was inspired to follow her heart and to devote her life to raising money for the American Heart Association.
“That love she had for her husband is really what keeps her going,” Digga said. “It’s a love that I wish we could all have once in our lifetime. It’s truly a love story. After her husband died, Leda really dedicated her life to making sure there is money available for research in the ongoing fight against heart disease.”
Digga said she has never met anyone quite like Gismondi.
“There is no one like Leda, and she doesn’t waiver,” Digga said. “There is no volunteer, who could match her dedication. The other volunteers catch on to her enthusiasm, and they can’t help it because they want to work with her and be around her.”
When Gismondi approaches someone with a request for money or asks someone to perform a particular volunteer task, Digga said it’s very seldom that the person will say no.
“Who can say no to Leda?” Digga asked. “She is a sweetheart. It’s very hard to find the words to describe how we feel about Leda and what she means to us personally. We are honored to have her working with us.”
A petite woman, who stands less than 5-feet tall and probably doesn’t weigh 100 pounds, Gismondi manages to convince people to do what she wants done.
“She is such a little thing, but she gets things done,” Digga said. “When Leda tells us what to do, we hop to it. She is like a general, giving us the orders. And we’re like the soldiers in the army following her directives.”
When Gismondi was nominated to receive the honor several months ago, Digga said she was very reluctant to accept it.
“Leda came kicking and screaming to the table,” Digga said. “When we nominated her, it was a tough deal. She wasn’t thrilled. I’m sure she was surprised, and she was taken a back by it. She fought us tooth and nail, but it was a unanimous decision by the committee. Leda was not allowed to vote.”
Digga said Gismondi did not want to be honored because she is a humble woman, who doesn’t like attention focused on her.
“Eventually, we managed to convince Leda to accept the honor,” Digga said. “She accepted with the stipulation that we would focus on the volunteerism aspect – and not on Leda personally. “We’re thrilled that Leda will be standing at the podium on Saturday to accept the honoree position.”
In addition to the time that she spends as a volunteer, Digga said Gismondi is a remarkable woman because she and her husband, James, did an excellent job raising their four children – James, Janine, John and Julie.
“Her children are all so proud of their mother – not only because of the work she has done in the community, but also because of the way that she raised them,” Digga said. “You’ve heard the saying, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’ That’s really the case with Leda and her children. Leda has such a generous nature, and her generosity has been instilled into each and every one of her children.
“We are so blessed to have Leda in this community. We have her right here in Fayette County, and we’re holding onto her. This is so emotional for us,” said Digga, as she fought back tears. “Leda is more than a chairperson and a volunteer. She is so special to all of us.”
Last year, Digga said the heart gala netted a total of $106,000, and committee members set this year’s goal at $110,000. The first gala, which was held six years ago, raised $45,000.
“We never thought we would reach $100,000, but it really put us on the map as far as fund-raising efforts go,” Digga said. “This is Leda’s third year as chairperson for the event, but she has been a committee member since the beginning.”
During the planning process several months ago, committee members selected this year’s theme, Heart Rock Gala, after a brainstorming session. Linda Esposto, a committee member and one of Gismondi’s long-time friends, suggested the idea.
“The idea just popped into her head,” Digga said. “I think she said Heart Rock Caf’ Gala, and we changed it to Heart Rock Gala. One person’s thought turned into a major theme. We had no idea what we were going to do, but we wanted it to be original.”
Paul Bacharach, chief executive officer (CEO) at the Uniontown Hospital, will serve as master of ceremonies for the gala. A surprise entertainer will perform during the cocktail hour. Tickets are sold out for this year’s event, and Digga said some people are already asking when tickets will be available for next year’s heart gala. Ticket prices were $90 per person or $110 for a patron, which means that the person will have his name published in the heart gala book. Businesses and families could purchase 10-seat tables at a cost of $1,200.
“This year, we doubled our table sales from 12 to 24,” Digga said. “This is our largest crowd yet, and we’re very excited about this year’s event.”
The schedule of events for the heart gala is as follows:
– 5:30 to 7 p.m., cocktails with a surprise entertainer.
– 7 p.m., dinner.
– 5:30 to 10 p.m., silent auction.
– 9 p.m., dancing.