The American Heart Association, National Football League, and Damar Hamlin's Chasing M's Foundation will provide free Hands-Only CPR training to thousands of participants at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh during the NFL Draft on April 24. This initiative aims to address the critical gap in bystander CPR, as more than half of people who experience cardiac arrest outside hospitals do not receive immediate intervention, despite CPR doubling or tripling survival chances. Registration for the training session, scheduled from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET, is available at https://heart.org/NFLDraft.
The event represents a significant public health effort to equip communities with simple, accessible lifesaving skills, particularly important since nearly three out of four cardiac arrests occur in homes. Participants will join the Nation of Lifesavers movement, launched by the American Heart Association following Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest during a 2023 NFL game. American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown emphasized that "every second matters when someone experiences cardiac arrest and knowing how to perform CPR can be the difference between life and death." The collaboration leverages the NFL Draft's visibility to promote widespread CPR education, with Hamlin serving as National Ambassador for the Nation of Lifesavers.
Hamlin stated that "training in CPR during the NFL Draft Experience in my hometown of Pittsburgh is a full-circle moment for me," emphasizing that CPR saves lives and encouraging community readiness. The partnership extends beyond the draft through year-round initiatives funded by NFL Foundation grants, which support CPR training and automated external defibrillator access in local communities. Since 2023, these grants have facilitated Hands-Only CPR training, credentialing, and distribution of CPR kits to schools and youth sports programs. NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility Anna Isaacson noted the league's commitment to "building safer, stronger communities by giving people the knowledge and confidence to act in a medical emergency."
Hands-Only CPR, which involves chest compressions without rescue breaths, can be learned in as little as 90 seconds and requires no formal training. The American Heart Association recommends that witnesses to a teen or adult's collapse immediately call 911 and perform compressions at 100-120 beats per minute. This technique is also integrated into NFL PLAY 60 youth wellness programs through the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge, teaching students to recognize cardiac arrest and respond effectively. With over 90% of sudden cardiac arrest victims dying without immediate CPR, large-scale training events like this one are crucial for improving survival rates.
The American Heart Association provides additional resources at https://www.heart.org/nation and detailed guidance on Hands-Only CPR at https://www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR, underscoring the importance of community preparedness in saving lives during cardiac emergencies. This initiative demonstrates how high-profile partnerships can leverage major events to address public health challenges, potentially transforming bystanders into immediate responders when cardiac emergencies occur in homes and communities nationwide.
