NFL’s Buffalo Bills continue CPR education kicking off year 3 of the HeartBEAT initiative

Begun in 2023, the five-year commitment adds lifesavers to the chain of survival in Buffalo and Western New York

2025-03-19

(Press-News.org) BUFFALO, NY, March 19, 2025 — For the third year the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all, and the Buffalo Bills are working together to bring compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), known as Hands-Only CPR and automated external defibrillator (AED) training and equipment to community events, organizations and youth sports groups across Western New York. Known in the community as the HeartBEAT initiative, this work is adding more people to the Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, which intends to double sudden cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030.

Through the HeartBEAT program, CPR education will be free at the following events and locations:

Buffalo Public Schools Summit on Saturday, June 7, 11:00a.m. – 2:00p.m. at All-High Stadium, 2885 Main St, Buffalo, NY 14214 Buffalo Bills Training Camp during summer 2025 at St. John Fisher University, Rochester, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618 Buffalo CycleNation taking place in fall 2025 at Buffalo Bills Field House, 1 Bills Dr, Orchard Park, NY 14127 HeartBEAT Game Day taking place in fall 2025 at Highmark Stadium, 1 Bills Dr, Orchard Park, NY 14127 Begun in 2023, the five-year, $1 million dollar commitment by the Buffalo Bills to educate thousands of Western New Yorkers on the correct rate and depth of compressions for Hands Only CPR and become a part of the Association’s Nation of Lifesavers. The American Heart Association launched the Nation of Lifesavers™ movement in 2023 following the sudden cardiac arrest of Buffalo Bills’ player Damar Hamlin during Monday Night Football™. As the global leader in creating resuscitation science, education and training and with more than 60 years of CPR education and training experience, the Association also publishes the official guidelines for CPR. The Nation of Lifesavers and the collaboration with the NFL is the Association’s most recent demonstration of its commitment to CPR education with the goal to double survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by 2030[1].

“Knowing how to respond in a cardiac emergency when seconds matter is literally the difference between life and death. By bringing these lifesaving CPR demonstrations to the community, we are meeting people where they are,” said Megan Vargulick, Western New York executive director of the American Heart Association. “The HeartBEAT initiative and our collaboration with the Buffalo Bills are adding more lifesavers in Western New York.”

In addition to the hands-on education efforts, the American Heart Association and the Buffalo Bills will continue their shared focus on CPR education for youth sports coaches. Throughout the initiative, 200 CPR & First Aid in Youth Sports training kits will be placed in the Western New York community. These training kits are designed for youth coaches to ensure they and their community know the lifesaving skills of CPR, how to use an AED, and how to help during sports-related emergencies. Each kit can train approximately 300 people per year. In the first two years of the program, 62 kits were placed in the Western New York community. For information on how to request a kit for a youth sports organization, visit the American Heart Association’s HeartBEAT website.

“The Bills remain dedicated to advancing CPR education throughout the Western New York community,” said Michelle Roberts, vice president of community impact of the Buffalo Bills. “Together with the American Heart Association we are proud to continue offering educational opportunities to empower our community with the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only CPR.”

Efforts like the HeartBEAT initiative are making a difference. More Americans than ever say they are now ready to perform CPR in emergencies, according to newly released survey data from the American Heart Association[2]. Recent efforts by the Association to create a Nation of Lifesavers™ with partners like the NFL have boosted CPR readiness. The percentage of surveyed adults in the U.S. who say they now feel they have the confidence to perform CPR increased from 30% to 35% from 2021 to 2023[3].

Today, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals in the United States annually. Nearly 3 out of 4 those cardiac arrests happen in homes. Quick, simple and easy-to-learn, Hands-Only CPR has been shown to be as effective in the first few minutes as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public[4]. It is as simple as calling 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Additional Resources:

Multimedia is available on the right column of release link. Buffalo Bills heart health awareness HeartBEAT initiative Bystander CPR | Bystander CPR Infographic (PDF) Hands-Only CPR Resources Hands-Only CPR vs CPR with Breaths Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack Reducing Disparities for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest – Community Toolkit: English and Spanish versions available Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR. ###

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.

[1] https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001196

[2] 2023 HOCPR Insights survey, American Heart Association (available by request)

[3] https://newsroom.heart.org/news/impact-update-cpr-willingness-grows-in-the-u-s-need-to-act-remains#_ftn4

[4] https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001052?utm_campaign=2023stat-update&utm_source=heart&utm_medium=link&utm_content=statshome

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