Last week, THE PEYTON WALKER FOUNDATION kicked off its long list of activities and promotions for February Heart Month by joining the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association, Dauphin County Commissioners, Miss Pennsylvania Kayla Repasky, Big 33 Honorary Chair Bruce Clark, and others to herald the first-ever heart screenings for the state’s top all-star football athletes selected for the prestigious Pennsylvania team.
Julie Walker, founder and executive director of The Peyton Walker Foundation, applauded the Big 33 for their leadership in making the heart safety of their players and athletes a top priority. Walker said, “We are grateful to partner with PSFCA, Big 33, Mid Penn Bank and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to provide heart screenings for the Pennsylvania players this year. Recognizing the importance of screening teens, CHOP did not hesitate to lend their support of the PA Team Heart Screening and will provide an Electrocardiogram, a murmur check and an Echocardiogram.”
Walker is a nationally-recognized heart hero, working to prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest in students. She pointed out that conditions that can cause SCA are often detectable and treatable, yet it is the number one killer of student athletes in the country. The Foundation provides free routine heart screenings that help to identify potential heart issues that can lead to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. She added, “Thank you to Mid Penn Bank for being Heart Heroes in support of our cause and stepping up to sponsor this screening. Saving other families from losing a child to SCA is our end goal.”
The Foundation proudly announces the addition of two sports figures familiar to not only the region but also the country with the addition of new high-profile board members: businessman and former football All-American star and NFL prospect Adam Breneman; and president of National Fitness Partners (Planet Fitness franchise group), and former Mercyhurst University standout football captain Steve Kindler, Jr.
Says Walker, “We are grateful to have them join our Board. Their leadership and commitment to our mission will help us to reach younger audiences with our lifesaving message that all teens should have their hearts screened.”
Adam grew up in Mechanicsburg, PA and is a 2013 graduate of Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill. He was a highly recruited football prospect out of high school and attended Penn State University where he played for the Nittany Lions as a true freshman, earning Freshman All-American Honors. He transferred to the University of Massachusetts where he was named an All-American in 2016 and 2017, and earned an MBA from the Isenberg School of Business. Breneman was a top 2018 NFL Draft prospect, but a nagging knee injury derailed that opportunity. He has returned to Central PA for his professional career and has quickly established himself as a rising business leader in the community.
“As a student-athlete, and as someone whose life has also been impacted by SCA, I am eager to partner with The Peyton Walker Foundation to make sure that every resource is available to young people to ensure heart health,” said Breneman.
Steve grew up in Mechanicsburg, PA, and graduated from Trinity High School in 2004. Kindler played football at Mercyhurst University and earned his MBA from Shippensburg University. He currently resides in Camp Hill, PA with his wife Nicole and son Kaleb. He is the president of National Fitness Partners (NFP) which is a private-equity owned operator in the Planet Fitness system. NFP has 27 locations in PA, DE, NC & SC. Kindler stated, “Having the opportunity to serve as a board member of The Peyton Walker Foundation aligns with our mission at NFP which is to ‘transform the lives of those we serve.’ There is no better way to serve than to allow for education and screenings that will truly lead to transformation.”
The Foundation also just rolled out unique, newly designed Heart Month and Valentine’s Day notecards, available in three designs, and being sold throughout the Mid-State, with 100 percent of proceeds to benefit the Foundation’s lifesaving programs and services. Cornerstone Coffeehouse and Bloooms By Vickrey in Camp Hill are carrying the beautiful cards, being sold nine to a pack for $10. They will soon be available in other locations or can be obtained by contacting the Foundation’s Program Director, Renee Karstetter, at [email protected]
Upcoming events include:
- February 12th: Harrisburg City School District and Pinnacle Health Foundation Major Announcement
- February 14th & 15th: PSFCA Conference, Penn Stater Conference Center, State College – Speaker at annual coaches’ clinic
- February 19th: Women’s Network Group, York – Speaker
- February 20th: CAIU Superintendents Meeting, CAIU in Enola – Speaker
- February 22nd: PIAA District 3 Wrestling Finals, Hershey Park Arena, Hershey – Speaker and AED Donation
- February 23rd: Support Alyssa Dressler Foundation Heart Screening, Selinsgrove
- February 26th – February 28th: PIAA District 3 Basketball Championships, Giant Center, Hershey – CPR/AED Demos & AED Donations
- March 1st: PIAA District 3 Basketball Championships, Santander Arena, Reading – Speaker
- Participation in “High School Sports Live” season featuring the Foundation’s public awareness campaign during broadcasts.
Walker will continue traveling the state to spread awareness, education and offer free screenings beyond Heart Month. Other plans include: March 2nd: PIAA District 3 Swim Championships Cumberland Valley High School – CPR/AED Demos; March 15th: Scout Night at the Hershey Bears Game – CPR/AED Demos; March 25th – 26th: PA Dept. of Education Conference Speaker, Hershey Lodge; April 20th: Healthy Neighbors Fest at the West Shore Plaza; and April 27th: Big 33 PA Team Heart Screenings, State College.
“Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the largest cause of natural death in the United States and is responsible for half of all heart disease deaths. It is the number one killer of student athletes and the leading cause of death on school campuses. We work tirelessly to prevent other families from tragic heartache,” says Walker.
Other events last week included AED donations to the Trinity High School Wrestling Club and two community CPR Certification Classes.
A billboard campaign and public service announcements are also airing throughout the Mid-State during February Heart Month to call attention to the heart health of teens.
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, Pennsylvania, when she suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) that took her young and vibrant life on November 2, 2013. Afterwards, her family started researching Sudden Cardiac Arrest, 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.
Some Sobering Facts About Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA):
- SCA is the #1 killer of student athletes in the United States.
- Every hour, every day a student dies from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
- Every three days, a student dies from SCA in the U.S.
- SCA is one of the leading causes of death in the United States (over 600,000 annually).
- SCA is the #2 medical cause of death in youth under 25.
- SCA is the leading cause of death on school campuses.
- Up to 95% of SCA victims die because there was a delay in emergency response.
- A routine heart screening is NOT part of a sports physical, and many heart issues can be detected through a simple ECG/EKG.
- Use of AEDs and CPR increase the chances of surviving an SCA event.
- Some warning symptoms that can lead to SCA include dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain.
- The first symptom of a hidden heart issue is often sudden death.
- Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is not a heart attack – it’s the sudden onset of an abnormal and potentially fatal heart rhythm that causes the heart to beat ineffectively or not at all.
The Peyton Walker Foundation works tirelessly year-round to prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and has forged partnerships with all major healthcare providers in Central Pennsylvania and beyond including UPMC Pinnacle, WellSpan, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Penn Medicine – Lancaster General Health and Geisinger, and also with PIAA District 3 and the Pennsylvania Scholastic Football Coaches Association – Big 33.
The Foundation is urging parents to request that their physicians administer EKGs during their child’s annual exam or visit their website at www.PeytonWalker.org to find a FREE screening in their area. Donations to the Foundation are also welcome to continue funding FREE community heart screening clinics for students in South Central PA, provide lifesaving AEDs within local communities, and help underwrite CPR and AED certification training classes to school districts and non-profits throughout the region. Tax-deductible investments will fund all of this.
Did You Know investments at all levels SAVE young, active lives? Here’s how:
- A $25 donation enables the Foundation to screen ONE HEART.
- A $500 donation allows the Foundation to provide a community AED/CPR Certification training class.
- A $1,000 donation pays for ONE Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for a nonprofit, sporting venue or school.
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 2,000 students leading to potential life-saving findings in various cases. The Foundation 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 other FREE community CPR and AED Trainings, and invests in our future healthcare professionals by awarding educational scholarships to those pursuing degrees in healthcare.
The Peyton Walker Foundation has received national recognition for their lifesaving work from Parent Heart Watch, Penn State University Athletics, as well as other esteemed organizations including The Conference for Women: Be Extraordinary. For more information on Sudden Cardiac Arrest in youth, how you can donate or to find a FREE heart screening location, please visit www.peytonwalker.org.