Join the Nation of Lifesavers at Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas

(NewMediaWire) - February 06, 2024 - DALLAS — The National Football League (NFL) and the American Heart Association want more people to be confident and capable when faced with a cardiac emergency, adding more people to the Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, which intends to double survival rates by 2030.  According to American Heart Association data, nine out of every ten of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

The American Heart Association’s Mobile CPR Unit will be on site at the Super Bowl Experience taking place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. Trainers will be onsite while the experience is open to the public Wednesday, Feb. 7 through Saturday, Feb. 10 providing Hands-Only CPR instruction to attendees. In this walk-up style instruction, participants will learn the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions. Compression-only CPR known as Hands-Only CPR can be equally effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of emergency response and is a skill everyone can learn. It is as simple as calling 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse and then pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest.

The American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers initiative is led by cardiac arrest survivor and Buffalo Bills safety, Damar Hamlin, serving as the national ambassador. In this role, Hamlin has supported efforts to increase CPR education through public service announcements, in-person trainings and advocating for federal policy change to increase access to AEDs. The Access to AEDs Act would create a grant program for K-12 schools to provide CPR and AED training; purchase AEDs; and create cardiac emergency response plans that establish specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in school settings.

“Across the nation Damar Hamlin has taken his own recovery journey and galvanized people to learn the extraordinary skill of performing CPR and using AEDs so that everyone, everywhere has the same chance of survival that he did. It is our honor to collaborate with the NFL as thousands of fans come through Super Bowl Experience and learn how to respond in a cardiac emergency," said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “As we celebrate 100 years of lifesaving work, we know that with every CPR training we perform we are one step closer to ensuring that everyone, everywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR and become a vital link in the chain of survival.”

On Thursday, Feb. 8 at 12 p.m. PT, Hamlin will meet with 2024 NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid, Brandon Torquato, 16 years old from Las Vegas, as he learns Hands-Only CPR in the Association’s Mobile CPR Unit at Super Bowl Experience. The NFL PLAY 60 Super Kid serves as the official NFL PLAY 60 Ambassador during Super Bowl Week, participating in a variety of community events and behind-the-scenes opportunities culminating in an on-field recognition during the second half of the Super Bowl. Rooted in American Heart Association science, NFL PLAY 60 inspires kids to get a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity each day and is a collaboration with all 32 NFL clubs and nonprofit leaders like AHA.

Also, on Friday, Feb. 9 at 3 p.m. PT, the NFL, the American Heart Association, Hamlin and the Smart Heart Sports Coalition will host a news conference in the Mobile CPR Unit footprint.

"The NFL is proud to once again join forces with the American Heart Association at Super Bowl LVIII to educate people on how to effectively respond to a cardiac emergency,” said NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson. “Damar Hamlin’s cardiac emergency last year underscores the critical importance of fast-acting first responders. Together with the American Heart Association, we look forward to empowering even more individuals to be confident and capable first responders.”

This marks the third appearance of the Association’s Mobile CPR Unit at a tentpole NFL event with previous appearances at Super Bowl LVII in Phoenix and the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City. This is one of several ways the NFL and the American Heart Association are collaborating to grow the Nation of Lifesavers and amplify its lifesaving message. Other ways include through the Kids Heart Challenge™ in-school program supporting Hands-Only CPR education with students and their families as well as policy work through the Smart Heart Sports Coalition of which the American Heart Association is a founding member.

Since January 2023, the American Heart Association has worked alongside many NFL teams to educate players and staff, as well as local community coaches and families, on Hands-Only CPR and train in Heartsaver® CPR AED (automated external defibrillator) course, which provides the highest quality evidence-based training in the lifesaving skills of CPR. The Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Seattle Seahawks have since hosted American Heart Association training and education opportunities for staff or their communities.

Only 12 days after the American Heart Association hosted a Hands-Only CPR education session with the Los Angeles Rams, the former Rams defensive coordinator and newly named head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Raheem Morris, assisted in the save of a three-year-old boy, the first CPR save directly tied back to this work.

The American Heart Association is the worldwide leader in resuscitation science, education, and training, and publisher of the official Guidelines for CPR. The Association encourages everyone, regardless of where they live, to take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life now at www.heart.org/nation.

Additional Resources: 

• Multimedia is available in the right column of the release link.
• Spanish news release will be added as available.

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 About the American Heart Association 

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities. Through collaboration with numerous organizations, and powered by millions of volunteers, we fund innovative research, advocate for the public’s health and share lifesaving resources. The Dallas-based organization has been a leading source of health information for a century. During 2024 - our Centennial year - we celebrate our rich 100-year history and accomplishments. As we forge ahead into our second century of bold discovery and impact our vision is to advance health and hope for everyone, everywhere. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.    

About NFL PLAY 60

NFL PLAY 60 is the League’s national youth health and wellness platform. In its 17th season, the initiative empowers millions of youth to get physically active for at least 60 minutes a day and provides support for programs and resources so that kids everywhere can lead a healthy lifestyle. Alongside the NFL’s 32 NFL clubs and partners, the PLAY 60 movement will continue to serve and motivate the next generation of youth to get active and PLAY 60. For more information, visit NFL.com/PLAY60.

For Media Inquiries: 214-706-1173

Linzy Cotaya: 504-872-3446; linzy.cotaya@heart.org

For Public Inquiries: 1-800-AHA-USA1 (242-8721)

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