The Villains and Heroes EP is out! As announced in the press, proceeds for the record will benefit Paulina’s Promise, a Colorado-based charity that raises funds for the Heart Institute at The Children’s Hospital in Denver. The charity is named after Paulina Radz, the daughter of Gary and Nora Radz. Paulina was one of about 35,000 infants born each year in the U.S. with congenital heart defects. The Radzs spent 37 heartwrenching days in the Cardiac Unit of The Children’s Hospital in Denver as doctors attempted to save their daughter. During their time at the hospital, Gary and Nora saw numerous miracles being performed for families and their sick children and infants. Inspired by the dedication and daily heroics they observed, Gary and Nora promised themselves that, no matter what the outcome, they would do all they could to support the facility. Unfortunately, Paulina’s life could not be saved. But the Radzs kept their promise.
The Paulina Radz Memorial Fund was established to benefit The Heart Institute at Children’s Hospital Colorado, a new facility that did not exist when Paulina was born. Funds are raised for the memorial through the Paulina’s Promise Seminar Series, an annual day of continuing education for the dental community. All the proceeds from the event’s tuition fees are donated directly to The Heart Institute.
As a leading cosmetic dentist and prosthodontist in Denver, Aldo first became involved with the seminar series when it began in 2005. Because Aldo had also lost a loved one at a young age to congenital heart disease, the cause deeply resonated with him. He participated as a speaker the following year and began leveraging his esteem as a prosthodontist to build awareness and bring in more speakers. Today, he serves on the board of directors of Paulina’s Promise and remains passionately involved with the future ambitions of the cause.
Donating the proceeds from Villains and Heroes is one of the ways that Aldo is working to expand and deepen the impact of Paulina’s Promise. Introducing the charity to music fans is just the beginning. Although the seminar series has its roots in the dental community, Aldo envisions an annual event that reaches out to the general public through music, concerts and other events that will bring the community together to support the fight against the number one cause of death in the first year of life.
The premise of Paulina’s Promise was founded on the question: “How can we each use our talents, experience and expertise in order to make the biggest impact?” For Dr. Gary and Nora Radz, Dr. Aldo Leopardi and the other doctors who first got involved in Paulina’s Promise, a unique and prestigious seminar series was the best answer. But Aldo hopes to further harness the talents of local artists, performers and event organizers to make an even bigger impact.
“Supporting the absolutely amazing work that The Heart Institute does is something I’m extremely passionate about,” says Aldo. “I want to do everything in my power to help the cause. But like hundreds of people who feel the same way as I do, I’m not a heart surgeon or a medical researcher. Paulina’s Promise is and will be an excellent way to allow us to take what we do well and love doing and direct it toward a greater good.”
Learn more about Paulina’s Promise at www.paulinaspromise.com.