Mid Penn Bank and The Peyton Walker Foundation today announced the creation of a new life-saving initiative to combat Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) – one of the leading causes of death among Americans. Through the Foundation, Mid Penn will invest in training and certification of its employees in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and First Aid. The program will launch in June. SCA has claimed the lives of three teenage students and another young athlete’s life right here in Central Pennsylvania in just the last four months.
“We care about the health and wellness of our employees, our customers and families in the communities we serve,” said Rory G. Ritrievi, President and CEO, Mid Penn Bank. “By training and certifying our employees in CPR, the use of AEDs and other First Aid techniques, we know we can save lives. We are proud to partner with The Peyton Walker Foundation which has a proven record of success in empowering students, parents, schools and organizations with the knowledge and training necessary to make a difference during a cardiac incident.”
“With this investment, Mid Penn Bank demonstrates its commitment to the health of its employees, customers and the greater community throughout Central Pennsylvania,” noted Julie B. Walker, Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation. “Survivability rates increase exponentially with access and use of an AED, hands-on CPR, by calling 9-1-1 and getting to a hospital immediately when SCA occurs. We know Mid Penn’s efforts will save lives. We thank them for their partnership in this mission and for the wonderful example of groundbreaking leadership and service they provide to other companies and organizations.”
In February, National Heart Month, Mid Penn employees designated the Foundation as the beneficiary of its charitable Dress Down Day fundraiser. Today, Ritrievi and his executive team presented Walker with a check for $9,000 to be used to further the Foundation’s mission of detecting, preventing and responding swiftly and effectively to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. The donation also included the bank’s sponsorship of historic PSFCA Big 33 Heart Screenings.
For the first time in The Big 33 Classic’s 62-year history, Mid Penn’s sponsorship allowed the Foundation to provide free, comprehensive screenings to the premier Pennsylvania student athletes.
Facts about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA):
- SCA is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. (over 600,000 annually).
- SCA is the #1 killer of student athletes in the U.S.
- Every hour, every day, a student dies from SCA.
- SCA is the leading cause of death on school campuses.
- Most heart conditions that lead to SCA are detectable and treatable.
About Mid Penn Bancorp, Inc.: Mid Penn Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: MPB), headquartered in Millersburg, Pa., has been serving the community since 1868. Mid Penn has 38 retail locations in the state of Pennsylvania and total assets of approximately $2 billion. Its footprint includes Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fayette, Lancaster, Luzerne, Montgomery, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Westmoreland counties. The bank offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services to meet the banking needs of the communities it serves. To learn more about Mid Penn Bank, visit www.midpennbank.com.
About Peyton Walker Foundation: The Foundation holds FREE HEART SCREENING CLINICS for students ages 12-19 in the Central PA area. To date, they are proud to have screened approximately 2,500 students leading to potential life-saving medical attention in several cases. The Foundation also provides AED and CPR training to every STUDENT who attends their heart screenings allowing students and their families a chance to perform hands-on CPR and gain a better understanding of what an AED is and how to use it. The Foundation provides educational scholarships and other FREE community CPR and AED Trainings. Recently, the Foundation attended the PIAA District 3 Wrestling and Basketball Championships. Peyton Walker was a 19-year-old Mechanicsburg native, 2012 Trinity High School graduate, and a sophomore in college who was pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant at Kings College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. when she suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest that took her young and vibrant life on November 2, 2013. Afterwards, her family started researching SCA, and found that kids are dying every day from heart issues that are NOT diagnosed. The PEYTON WALKER FOUNDATION was established in honor of Peyton’s memory and her dreams of a medical profession to help and care for others. Their mission is to increase awareness and survival rates of Sudden Cardiac Arrest through education, screening and training. Events, screenings and important updates can be found at PeytonWalker.org.