Buffalo Bills continue CPR education, kicking off year 3 of HeartBEAT initiative

Made in 2023, 5-year commitment adds lifesavers to chain of survival in Buffalo & WNY

American Heart Association Press Release & Graphic

More than half of people who experience sudden cardiac arrest out of hospital don’t receive immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), contributing to a high death rate. As many as 9 out of 10 people who experience sudden cardiac arrest die. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. To save more lives, the American Heart Association – a global force changing the future of health for all – and the Buffalo Bills are working together to bring more hands-only CPR demonstrations and equipment to community events, organizations and youth sports groups across Western New York.

According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die. This is in part because they do not receive immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

Begun in 2023, the HeartBEAT initiative is a five-year, $1 million commitment by the Buffalo Bills to educate thousands of Western New Yorkers in hands-only CPR. The project is adding more people to the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers movement, which intends to double survival rates by 2030.

The American Heart Association mobilized its Nation of Lifesavers movement in 2023 with a goal to double survival rates from sudden cardiac arrest for everyone, ensuring more people at home, work, school and even online have learned lifesaving CPR skills.

“Knowing how to respond in a cardiac emergency when seconds matter is literally the difference between life and death. By bringing these lifesaving CPR demonstrations to the community, we are meeting people where they are,” said Megan Vargulick, executive director of the American Heart Association in Rochester. “The HeartBEAT initiative and our collaboration with the Buffalo Bills are adding more lifesavers in Western New York.”

For the third year of the HeartBEAT program, the American Heart Association and the Buffalo Bills will bring CPR demonstrations and education to community events teaching participants the correct rate and depth of compressions:

√ Buffalo Bandits game at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at KeyBank Center

√ Say Yes Academy, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 15, at BUILD Community School

√ Buffalo Public Schools Summit, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at All-High Stadium

√ Buffalo Bills Training camp during summer 2025 at St. John Fisher University, Rochester

√ Buffalo CycleNation taking place in fall 2025 at ADPRO Sports Training Center

√ HeartBEAT Game Day taking place in fall 2025 at Highmark Stadium

“The Bills remain dedicated to advancing CPR education throughout the Western New York community,” said Michelle Roberts, vice president of community impact of the Buffalo Bills. “Together with the American Heart Association, we are proud to continue offering educational opportunities to empower our community with the lifesaving skills of hands-only CPR.”

In addition to the hands-on education efforts, the American Heart Association and the Buffalo Bills will continue their shared focus on CPR education for youth sports coaches. Throughout the initiative, 200 CPR and First Aid in Youth Sports training kits will be placed in the Western New York community. These training kits are designed for youth coaches to ensure they and their community know the lifesaving skills of CPR, how to use an AED, and how to help during sports-related emergencies. Each kit can train approximately 300 people per year. In the first two years of the program, 62 kits were awarded in the Western New York community. For information on how to request a kit for a youth sports organization, visit the American Heart Association’s HeartBEAT initiative website.

Efforts like the HeartBEAT initiative are making a difference. A newly released study, conducted by Decision Analyst on behalf of the American Heart Association, indicates more U.S. adults now say they feel ready to handle and respond to a cardiac arrest. When Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during “Monday Night Football” in January of 2023, nearly 7 out of every 10 U.S. adults said they would not feel confident to act during a cardiac emergency. Based on the available data at the time, and tracking attitudes since, the American Heart Association has since seen a reported increase from 33% to 39% in bystander confidence to be able to perform any type of CPR – or 17.7 million more Americans feeling confident to act in the event of a lifesaving emergency.

Today, more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals in the U.S. annually. Nearly 3 out of 4 of those cardiac arrests happen in homes.

Quick, simple and easy-to-learn, hands-only CPR has been shown to be as effective in the first few minutes as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest at home, at work or in public. It is as simple as calling 911 if you see a teen or adult suddenly collapse and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest.

Image courtesy of the American Heart Association

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Additional resources:

√ Buffalo Bills heart health awareness

√ HeartBEAT initiative

√ Bystander CPR

√ Hands-Only CPR Resources

√ Hands-Only CPR vs CPR with Breaths 

√ Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack

√ Reducing Disparities for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest – Community Toolkit: English and Spanish versions available

√ Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR. 

More about the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association is a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than 100 years. Supported by more than 35 million volunteers globally, we fund groundbreaking research, advocate for the public’s health, and provide critical resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. By driving breakthroughs and implementing proven solutions in science, policy and care, we work tirelessly to advance health and transform lives every day. Connect with us on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.