Bay Area community leader champions CPR education and heart health on national platform

The American Heart Association’s Leaders of Impact™ winner draws inspiration from personal connection to heart disease

2025-01-13

(Press-News.org) DALLAS, Jan. 13, 2025 — Corey Bentley, an American Heart Association local volunteer and marketing professional in the San Francisco Bay Area, is the Association’s 2024 National Leaders of Impact™ Winner. In the fall of 2024, more than 300 local leaders in 60 communities volunteered to improve heart health while raising funds to fuel the lifesaving mission of the Association, through its nationwide Leaders of Impact campaign. The head-to-head competition doesn’t just focus on raising critical funds. It also supports access to equitable health in local communities given that health inequities related to uncontrolled high blood pressure rates, tobacco use, lack of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), access to healthy food and life expectancy gaps can impact up to 80% of health outcomes[1]. Bently is recognized as the nationwide winner for both raising the most funds and making the greatest community impact nationwide.

“All of the participants in the nationwide Leaders of Impact initiative have demonstrated extraordinary dedication to improving heart health and raising awareness about lifesaving initiatives like CPR education and equitable health for all in their communities,” said Marsha E. Jones, American Heart Association volunteer board chair and former executive vice president and chief diversity officer for The PNC Financial Services Group. “Corey Bentley’s passion, leadership and advocacy are relentless efforts that help propel us into our second century of lifesaving work, inspiring us through mission impact.”

After watching family members suffer from heart disease, Bentley decided to take action by joining the Association’s Leaders of Impact initiative in the Bay Area. Bentley raised funds and educated others at a grassroots level in things like Hands-Only CPR by hosting a CPR awareness event at his workplace. The event equipped more than 80 colleagues with the tools and knowledge to live longer and healthier lives. Bently’s campaign received remarkable success through strategic outreach efforts, leveraging the power of social media to engage friends and family while also garnering significant support from his workplace and colleagues.

“Participating in the Leaders of Impact campaign was a natural choice for me because heart disease has deeply affected my family,” Bentley said. “My mother, a fitness trainer, dedicated her life to helping our family make healthier choices and prioritizing heart health. Following in her footsteps, I wanted to give back and create a lasting impact by advocating for awareness, education and change that can save lives.”

The 2024 annual Leaders of Impact campaign launched on Oct. 17 and culminated on Dec. 4, 2024. Participants were nominated by the Association’s nationwide network of peer volunteers to participate in the seven-week initiative where they took action to improve lives across the nation while raising funds for the Association’s mission. For more information about the Leaders of Impact campaign and the American Heart Association’s lifesaving mission, visit leadersofimpact.heart.org.

Additional Resources:

Photos available on the right column of the release link. Hands-Only CPR Resources Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life ###

About the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy, and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.   

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