31st Annual Mount Nittany Health Golf Classic celebrates $1 Million raised for life-saving cardiac care

Mount Nittany Health Foundation's 31st Annual Golf Classic, held on August 7 at the Penn State Golf Courses, capped an extraordinary goal of raising $1 Million to benefit life-saving cardiac care and the construction of the cardiovascular pavilion at Mount Nittany Medical Center.  

At Mount Nittany Medical Center, Al Landis received a pacemaker and defibrillator following a sudden cardiac arrest while leaving his wife's office parking lot. "I was there for eight days," he recalls. "I have only wonderful things to say about the care I received at Mount Nittany Health. Even though I didn't know what was happening at the time, I got the best end result – I'm still here."

The story of Al is familiar, with an estimated 356,000 individuals experiencing sudden cardiac arrest each year in the United States. Because of this startling reality, as well as the desire to ensure that future victims receive state-of-the-art care, the Golf Classic committee pledged to raise $1 million to advance life-saving cardiac care at Mount Nittany Medical Center. 

Mount Nittany Health's cardiology team strives to treat patients well before a sudden cardiac event or the onset of heart disease. The creation of the state-of-the-art cardiovascular pavilion is an investment into life-saving medicine and heart health for our community. With the opening of the cardiovascular pavilion in September 2019 and the generous support of all our donors, including all our Golf Classic sponsors and supporters, we have achieved:

• 233 heart alerts
• 560 Percutaneous coronary interventions
• 1308 Diagnostic cardiac catheterizations
• 657 Electrophysiology device implants (pacemakers, system upgrades, or generator changes
• 157 Electrophysiology studies, ablations, and other procedures

"More than 80 companies and individuals helped make the event a success. Together, we raised $179,560, including $8,000 through this year's online auction concluding our five-year campaign raising $1,029,814 in total. This is an awe-inspiring accomplishment, and it was made possible by the extraordinary dedication of our supporters," shares Simon Corby, executive director, Mount Nittany Health Foundation.

The Mount Nittany Health Golf Classic has raised more than $3.1 million since 1991 in support of life-saving technology, program improvements, and facility upgrades to advance the care our communities expect and deserve.

"The Golf Classic is always a special day," shares Corby. "We are truly grateful for our generous sponsors, donors, volunteers, and the dedicated efforts of the Golf Classic committee. All year round, this committee works tirelessly to organize this event, with the single goal of advancing care at Mount Nittany Health. A thank you is not enough for our sponsors, our donors, our volunteers, and our committee!"

Donations to Mount Nittany Health Foundation matter. By sharing their generosity, our donors enable us to relentlessly pursue improvement by enhancing expertise, funding technology and providing programs that build stronger communities for healthier people. Visit foundation.mountnittany.org or call 814.234.6777 to learn more, get involved, or donate.

While we are pleased to share this good news with our community, we are also mindful that COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are rising. At this time, we implore everyone to take all steps necessary to prevent the spread of infection—schedule your vaccine, practice social distancing, wash hands frequently, and wear a mask.