Tonawanda student going to Super Bowl LXI

NFL CPR commitment awards Super Bowl tickets to Tonawanda student

√ Hands-only CPR education offered through American Heart Association’s in-school programs supports mission critical work to improve chain of survival 

American Heart Association press release & photo 

A Tonawanda Elementary School student is among five students across the country who have been awarded special incentive prizes. At a special assembly Tuesday, Damar Hamlin – Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor – surprised students with the announcement that Finley, a second grader, received two tickets to Super Bowl LXI taking place Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The prizes are part of a collaboration between the American Heart Association, devoted to changing the future to a world of healthier lives for all, and the National Football League Foundation to encourage young people to learn hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Students who participated in the AHA’s in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge, during the 2025-26 school year and learned hands-only CPR were eligible for incentive prize drawings from the NFL.

Individual prizes included tickets to Super Bowl LXI. Participating schools were eligible for a drawing of $10,000 for a physical activity equipment makeover. Other awardees are still to be announced.

Students who participate in the AHA’s in-school Kids Heart Challenge program receive free hands-only CPR instruction so they can be confident and capable to respond in a cardiac emergency. More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the U.S. each year, 70% of those occurring at home. According to AHA data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. A scientific statement from the AHA shows children as young as age 4 can impact the survival rate by calling 911.

The AHA is the global leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and publishes the official guidelines for CPR. The collaboration with the NFL is the AHA’s most recent demonstration of the vow to grow CPR education with the commitment to double survival rates of cardiac emergencies by 2030. With most cardiac arrests outside the hospital occurring at homes, knowing how to perform CPR is critically important for all families. If a teen or adult collapses, witnesses should immediately call emergency services and begin chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute and a depth of approximately 2 inches.

“The Bills remain dedicated to advancing CPR education throughout the Western New York community,” said Michelle Roberts, vice president of community impact for the Buffalo Bills and executive director of the Buffalo Bills Foundation. “Not only is Finley’s surprise great for him, it’s also a fun way to highlight the lifesaving skills of hands-only CPR.”

The Buffalo Bills and the AHA are working together to save lives through CPR education. The HeartBEAT initiative, launched in 2023, 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 Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers movement, which intends to double survival rates by 2030.

The NFL’s support includes an introduction video by Hamlin. In the video, which appears prior to the Kids Heart Challenge hands-only CPR online learning module, Hamlin shares that CPR saved his life. He encourages kids to learn the lifesaving skill.

The NFL Foundation renewed its commitment to support CPR education for the 2026-27 school year. Once again, five student participants will receive tickets to Super Bowl LXII on Feb. 1, 2028, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta; and five schools will receive $10,000 fitness equipment makeovers. Entries are available now to those completing the hands-only CPR module called Finn’s Mission. Parents and school administrators can visit heart.org/jointhechallenge to learn how their students can participate.

With a foundation set in physical activity and rooted in proven science, Kids Heart Challenge has expanded beyond the gymnasium to meet the needs of today’s youth and educators as science has proven the strong connection between physical and mental health. The program offers a variety of activities to get elementary students’ hearts pumping such as dance, basketball or jumping rope paired with digital missions such as learning hands-only CPR. The AHA has worked with schools across the nation for nearly 50 years promoting physical health and wellness.

The AHA encourages everyone, everywhere to join in the Nation of Lifesavers initiative and make CPR awareness and education a permanent fixture in all communities across the country. Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life now at www.heart.org/nation. 

Connect with the American Heart Association on heart.org, Facebook, X or by calling 1-800-AHA-USA1.