HEARTSafe Tri-Cities to host community kickoff to promote heart health awareness
HEARTSafe Tri-Cities will host its official community kickoff from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at the Spring Lake Community Center, 15549 Cleveland St.
SPRING LAKE — A new health initiative aiming to drastically improve survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest is officially launching in West Michigan next week.
HEARTSafe Tri-Cities will host its official community kickoff from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 3, at the Spring Lake Community Center, 15549 Cleveland St.
The event invites local residents, leaders and advocates to learn about the program’s mission to bring life-saving skills and technology to the region.
The initiative — a collaborative effort serving Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg — is supported by major health organizations, including the American Heart Association in West Michigan, the American Red Cross and Project ADAM.
The HEARTSafe Community initiative is a national preparedness program created by the Citizen CPR Foundation. To earn the official HEARTSafe designation, communities must meet 13 stringent requirements focused on cardiac emergency training, preparation and response protocols.
"Becoming a HEARTSafe community is our way of showing our continued commitment to the cardiac health of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg citizens and visitors," organizers said in a statement, noting that the designation ensures greater access to critical medical interventions.
The launch comes amid stark national statistics. Each year, more than 350,000 Americans experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, including 23,000 children. Because nearly 70% of these emergencies occur at home, the person requiring aid is often a family member or friend.
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Currently, nearly 90% of people who suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests die. However, immediate CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival. Organizers emphasize that CPR is an accessible skill that children as young as nine years old can successfully learn.
The June 3 kickoff will feature a brief introductory program starting at 5 p.m., highlighting the mechanics of the HEARTSafe program, a firsthand account from a cardiac arrest survivor, and an opportunity for attendees to learn hands-only CPR.
For more information on the initiative, residents can visit heartsafetricities.org or follow @HeartSafeTriCities on Facebook and Instagram.
— Submitted by HEARTSafe Tri-Cities. To submit a news tip, email newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
