WASHINGTON, D.C.—Citizen CPR Foundation (CCPRF) will be participating in the 3rd Annual National CPR/AED Awareness Rally & March in Washington, DC on Friday, June 2nd, 2023. Over 150 heart advocates from all across the United States will provide CPR & AED demonstrations and training along the Northwest quadrant of the Washington Monument in the National Memorial Mall area.  Additionally, members of the group will march to the US Capitol Building to host a CPR Awareness Rally, followed by a second rally at the White House.

WHEN:         

Friday, June 2nd – 9:00am-5:00pm – CPR/AED Demonstrations & Training (Free)

• March to US Capitol & Rally – 9:30am-12:00pm
• March to White House & Rally – 1:30pm-4:00pm
• Saturday, June 3rd – 9:00am-5:00pm – CPR/AED Demonstrations & Training (Free) 

WHERE:     

Washington Monument – Memorial Mall
Northwest Quadrant
Washington, DC                           

WHO:           

Participating organizations include, among others: Organizer – Ed Kosiec, Every Second Counts CPR Organization, AED Team, Cardiac Arrest Survivor Alliance (CASA), CEMS, Citizen CPR Foundation, DC Fire Department from Washington, DC, Have a Heart, Heart & Sole, Heart for Athletes, HeartCharged, Jessica Clinton Foundation, Lion Heart, Louis Acompora Foundation, Matt’s Mission, Parent Heart Watch, Peyton Walker Foundation, Prestan, PulsePoint, Push Health and Safety Services, LLC, Rescue One, RescueStat, SaveStation, Simon’s Heart, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, Surviving SCA, Terry Coleman from Kentucky, Tony and Felicia Tanzosh from North Carolina, WorldPoint, Zoll

WHAT:

Over a dozen organizations will set up booths and tents along the National Monument/Memorial Mall area to provide free CPR & AED demonstrations and training from 9:00am-5:00pm on Friday, June 2nd and Saturday, June 3rd. Anyone may participate in the events and learn how to perform CPR and how to use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator).

Several members of the group will march to the US Capitol Building for a rally on the capitol steps. Senators and Representatives have been invited to participate in the Rally. The “Access to AED Act” (S1024 and H2370) legislation will be discussed. This legislation focuses on providing funding for schools to purchase AEDs, provide CPR training and develop emergency action plans.

Following the rally at the US Capitol, the group will later march to the White House for a second rally.

Statistics show that out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival is less than 10%. Often times, bystanders don’t know what to do in the event of a cardiac emergency. If CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is initiated quickly, and an AED is accessible and used on the victim, survival rates increase significantly.

Survival is why these groups are coming together and focusing on training the general public in how to perform CPR and how to use an AED. Anyone and everyone can help to save a life. Participants of the 3rd Annual National CPR & AED Awareness March and Rally include survivors of SCA, families who have lost children and loved ones to SCA, fire departments, industry suppliers and others. Many will share their stories in the hopes of inspiring community members to get involved.

“This event will bring together heart advocates from across the nation to create one voice to help increase survival rates of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. As someone who was saved by bystander CPR when I had my cardiac arrest in 2019, I personally know how important it is that everyone learns CPR. I’m alive today because someone had the skills and jumped in to save my life,” says Ed Kosiec, organizer of the 3rd Annual National CPR/AED Awareness Rally & March and director of the Every Second Counts CPR Organization.

ABOUT CITIZEN CPR FOUNDATION:

Founded in 1987, the mission of the Citizen CPR Foundation (CCPRF) is to save lives from sudden cardiac arrest by stimulating effective community, professional and citizen action. The non-profit foundation is supported by donations, including the generous funding of the Citizen CPR Foundation’s Partner Council, each member of which helps to advance the foundation’s life-saving mission through strategic collaborations, initiatives and outreach. The Partner Council includes AED Superstore, American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Defibtech, Laerdal Medical, MD Solutions International, Philips, Prestan, WorldPoint and ZOLL. 

Every two years, CCPRF holds its international Cardiac Arrest Survival Summit (CASSummit), which features the latest information and trends in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. CASSummit is the only opportunity to learn, collaborate on and implement the latest resuscitation science across the full chain of survival. CASSummit returns to San Diego at the award-winning Town and Country Resort on Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, 2023, with pre-conferences on Nov. 28 & 29. The theme for this year’s Summit is Challenging the Status Quo. For more information visit www.citizencprsummit.org. 

FACTS ABOUT SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST (SCA) and CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION (CPR):

• SCA is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. (over 500,000 annually).
• SCA is the #1 killer of student athletes in the U.S. and the leading cause of death on school campuses.
• 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.
• Out-of-hospital survival rates of SCA are under 10%.
• CPR can double or triple the chance of survival when initiated quickly after a SCA event.

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Media Contact:

CCPRF | info@citizencpr.org