GOLDLAW is proud to support Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla) and Congressman Bill Posey (R-Fla), as they introduce bipartisan congressional legislation that will fund schools for providing lifesaving Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and training to respond to sudden cardiac arrest.
The Access to AEDs Act will extend access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs), increase CPR training, and help to create cardiac emergency response plans in schools across the U.S. The American Heart Association has also endorsed the bill.
According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 330,000 people in the United States experience sudden cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year, and 1 in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk. The Access to AEDs Act would authorize a grant program to support CPR and AED training in K-12 schools and purchase AEDs to help reduce death from cardiac arrest in school settings.
Buffalo Bills Damar Hamlin to Attend Capitol Hill Event
Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin, who survived a cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game on January 2 after receiving immediate CPR and defibrillation on the field, will attend a March 29 event hosted by Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick. Hamlin has since teamed up with the American Heart Association to launch his #3forHeart™ CPR Challenge focused on saving more lives through CPR education and training.
Heart of the Game Stands Tall in its Support of Youth Athletes
GOLDLAW founder and CEO Craig Goldenfarb established Heart of the Game in 2016. The idea of providing free defibrillators and cardiac emergency response training to youth sports programs was the result of a combination of factors. When he was just 17, Craig’s father almost died from sudden cardiac arrest, surviving after undergoing a triple bypass operation. In 2014, a teammate on Craig’s adult soccer league club suffered a cardiac arrest after a game, and died. Soon after, at a charity soccer event, Craig heard professional player Abby Wambaugh explain how much that man had influenced her professional career. That event inspired Mr. Goldenfarb to start Heart of the Game.
“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up,” said Goldenfarb. “Heart of the Game is blessed to be able to provide the equipment and training to help our youth stay healthy and active.”
Interested in obtaining an AED for your youth sports program or facility? Visit the Heart of the Game website for additional information, and to apply for a grant.