20% of our nation’s population is found on our school campus on a daily basis, including children, parents, teachers, staff, administrators both during normal school hours and at athletic events.
Schools are under funded. Schools share one nurse within whole school districts. Schools take care of our children four to ten hours a day. An undiagnosed enlarged heart, or Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, is the leading killer of our high school athletes each year. Up to 7,000 young people suffer SCA annually. These deaths do not include sudden cardiac death (SCD) due to impact to the chest or SCDs caused by lightning, heatstroke or asthma. An estimated 14,000 children and infants die annually from SCD.
Schools and school districts that are interested in having a comprehensive, on-going AED and CPR program can apply for The Via Foundation’s Campus Heart Program.
The Via Foundation will work with a site contact at each school in your district. We will help you fundraise with your parents, local clubs, and local organizations. The Via Foundation will supplement the cost with grants and donations through our general fund. Once our fundraising goal is met, the Via Foundation will help with determining the correct location of your AED in its wall cabinet, purchase AEDs, and hold CPR training classes for your teachers, coaches, and administration.
The school site contact will receive a monthly email reminder to check the device battery, and online maintenance records will be kept in accordance with the Good Samaritan Law in your state. When the batteries or pads expire, the school will automatically receive new supplies for the length of the program. The Campus Heart Program will hold CPR certification classes every other year to ensure there are an abundance of rescuers trained in CPR and AED use at each school. Through the Campus Heart Program there is absolutely no cost to the school.
