The Peyton Walker Foundation (PWF) is pleased to announce that the Harrisburg Senators will host the first-ever “Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Night” on Friday, August 5 at FNB Field featuring life-saving AED and CPR Demonstrations around FNB Field Concourse, special PWF jerseys to be worn by the team to be auctioned off to benefit PWF’s life-saving work, a 4 Minute City video to be shown during the game, fireworks and much more.
“We applaud the Harrisburg Senators for helping us to raise awareness about the #1 killer of student athletes and Sudden Cardiac Arrest prevention. We are grateful to the team and coaches who will participate in sporting our commemorative jerseys and in supporting our Foundation’s life-saving work. We are looking forward to a fun family night out at the ballpark, an exciting game, and in connecting with baseball fans of all ages through our interactive CPR and AED Demonstration stations,” says Julie Walker, The Peyton Walker Foundation’s Executive Director and Peyton’s Mom. “When we all team up as a caring, informed and prepared community, we can increase survival rates of Sudden Cardiac Arrest and spare families from this devastating heartache,” she added.
Julie Walker is a nationally-recognized heart hero, working to prevent Sudden Cardiac Arrest in students, and pointed out that conditions that can cause SCA are often detectable and treatable, yet it is the #1 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. PWF also works tirelessly to improve SCA outcomes by placing AEDs throughout the community and boosting awareness about how to perform CPR and how to use an AED through ongoing trainings and community collaborations.
The Foundation will showcase the importance CPR and AED use at area “National Night Out Celebrations” on August 2 with Central PA communities and police departments. Important PWF Events in the coming weeks where AED and CPR Demos will take place to help teach these life-saving skills to community members in Central PA include:
August 2nd – NATIONAL NIGHT OUT – Lower Allen Township
Christian Life Assembly, 2645 Lisburn Road, Camp Hill, 6 – 8 P.M.
August 2nd– NATIONAL NIGHT OUT – Upper Allen Township
Allen Distribution, 1225 S. Market Street, Mechanicsburg, 6-8 P.M.
August 5th – SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST AWARENESS NIGHT WITH HARRISBURG SENATORS BASEBALL
FNB Field, City Island, Harrisburg.5:30 P.M. Gates Open.
August 10-13 – LISBURN OLDE TIME FESTIVAL
1800 Main Street, Lisburn, 4-8 P.M.
ABOUT THE PEYTON WALKER FOUNDATION:
Peyton Walker was a 19-year-old Mechanicsburg native, 2012 Trinity High School graduate, and a sophomore at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania who was pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant. 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 undiagnosed heart issues. THE PEYTON WALKER FOUNDATION was established in honor of Peyton’s memory and her dreams of working in the medical profession to help and care for others. The Foundation’s mission is to increase awareness and survival rates of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Events, screenings and important updates can be found at PeytonWalker.org.
To date, they are proud to have donated close to 400 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), screened over 3,500 students with nearly 400 children referred to physicians – some of which lead to potential life-saving medical attention for students. CPR training is offered 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 also has provided over $100,000 in educational scholarships and hundreds of other FREE community CPR and AED Trainings.
The Peyton Walker Foundation, under the leadership of Walker, has worked with UPMC Pinnacle, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Duke University, Penn State Children’s Hospital, WellSpan, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Geisinger Health, PIAA, Big 33, Big 26, PA Scholastic Football Coaches Association and other agencies in an effort to save young lives. Advocates, parents and medical professional recognize more can be done to protect youth to reduce the occurrence of SCA in children.
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. 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.