MECHANICSBURG— Teaming up for Heart Month, Renewal by Andersen of Central PA, The Peyton Walker Foundation and PIAA District 3 will donate AEDs to various Central PA schools on Wednesday, February 28 and Thursday, February 29 at the PIAA District 3 Basketball Championships at The GIANT Center, Hershey, Pa.
Julie Walker, Peyton’s Mom and Founder of The Peyton Walker Foundation said, “We are so grateful for Renewal by Andersen of Central PA’s partnership during the D3 Basketball Championships this year. The team at RbA has truly embraced our mission and enabled us to have a broader impact – potentially saving more lives.”
“Renewal Cares about the communities and families where we live and work. We are proud to team up on the ‘Hoops Saving Hearts’ initiative with The Peyton Walker Foundation and the PIAA to help equip area schools with life-saving AEDs that can increase survivability from a Cardiac Arrest. We’ve seen the power of quick response time, of having an emergency response plan and of having access to these vital tools that are saving lives daily across the country,” said RbA Chief Culture Officer Linda Johnston.
Nonprofit organizations and sports teams can request a free AED by contacting the Foundation. For more information on the Foundation, go to PeytonWalker.org.
Renewal by Andersen of Central PA President/Owner Joe Zisman said, “We often see tragedies in the news because there wasn’t access to an AED in a timely manner. Our company installed AEDs in all of our offices and showrooms and trained our employees, thanks to The Peyton Walker Foundation. We are committed to helping to increase AED donations so more families can enjoy their loved ones after a Sudden Cardiac Arrest occurs.”
WHO: Linda Johnston, Chief Culture Officer, Renewal by Andersen of Central PA
Julie Walker, Peyton’s Mom, Founder, The Peyton Walker Foundation
PIAA District 3
Nancy Ryan, Renewal by Andersen of Central PA
Central PA School Representatives from PIAA District 3
WHAT: AED Donations by Renewal, PWF, PIAA District 3 to several Central PA schools.
PWF will offer AED and CPR Demos on the Main Concourse and student trivia games throughout District Championships.
WHEN: Wednesday, February 28, Halftime of the 4:30PM Boys 2A Game
Thursday, February 29, Halftime of the 2:45 PM Boys 1A Game
NOTE: Media invited to cover these AED presentations and to interview Linda and Julie after Donations and PWF Presentations.
WHERE: The GIANT Center, Hershey, Pa.
FACTS:
—Every minute matters during a Cardiac Arrest! CPR + AEDs save lives! Add these to your playbook for life!
—More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital each year.
—SCA or Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the #1 killer of student athletes in the U.S. and the leading cause of death on school campuses.
—SCA is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. (over 600,000 annually).
— Every hour, every day, a student dies from SCA. The majority of those deaths are attributed to detectable and treatable heart conditions that went undiagnosed due to the limited scope of standard sports physicals & well-child check-ups.
—Survival rates of SCA are less than 10%. Some warning symptoms that can lead to SCA include: dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, and passing out. The first symptom of SCA is often sudden death. However, the use of AEDs and CPR increase the chances of surviving an SCA event.
The most important factor determining whether a person survives Sudden Cardiac Arrest is how quickly he or she receives a shock from an automated external defibrillator (AED). A few minutes’ delay can be the difference between life and death.
