The American Red Cross of Eastern Pennsylvania celebrated their "Red Ball" Gala March 30 at Lincoln Financial Field. Waking into the stadium, you immediately see delicious appetizers and desserts from dozens of restaurants throughout Philadelphia. Whether you had a craving for seafood or maybe some Asian cuisine, your culinary wishes were granted. A sports-themed silent auction had a one-of-a-kind myriad of jerseys, helmets and rare collectibles for the die-hard Philly fan.

Although the night was filled with, music, food and fun, there was a more important reason to be there. Many people throughout the United States had their lives shattered from being displaced by a fire or a natural disaster. Last year in Philadelphia, the Red Cross House in University City helped an estimated 950 people, that included 17,000 overnight stays and 50,000 meals. The Red Cross House, located in University City, is the only facility of its kind in the country to provide transitional housing and recovery services for disaster survivors in our region.  The donations from the "Red Ball" gala go to support families with a place to sleep, a hot meal and counseling services. For the last fifteen years, Red Cross House has been directly involved in helping families rebuild their lives and begin again.

At the gala was Dr. Reetika Kumar, Vice President Of Clinical Services at AmeriHealth Administrators, former Philadelphia Eagle Vince Papale and Juan Lopez, Senior Vice President of Finance Shared Services at Independence Blue Cross. Kathy Cruz and Jose Silverio of Channel 69 News were spotted enjoying the festivities as well as Guy Triano CEO of the Eastern Pennsylvania Region of the American Red Cross and Esperanza Martinez Neu, Board Chair of Congreso.

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