As part of the Cleveland Browns' "Month of Giving" this December, the Browns will donate $25,000 to University Hospitals' (UH) AEDin3 Initiative.
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are imperative to save the lives of those who experience sudden cardiac arrest, which is why the Browns are building on their partnership with UH, the Make Them Know Your Name Foundation (MTKYN) and Kaulig Companies to ensure schools across Northeast Ohio are equipped with the latest life-saving technology and training in case an athlete suffers cardiac arrest.
The $25,000 donation will provide AEDs for nine Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Schools in support of their Senate League football programs in alignment with the Cleveland Browns field project program. These nine programs are supported by the Browns' field projects, which are lined for multiple sports, including but not limited to football and soccer, and serve as a resource to further engage athletes and students in their local communities.
To participate in the challenge, school athletic programs are encouraged to conduct drills getting AEDs to fields and other sports venue areas in under three minutes. The challenge will determine whether existing AEDs work and can be used within three minutes of cardiac arrest to most effectively deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to re-establish an effective heart rhythm. Northeast Ohio schools that can't beat the AEDin3 time limit are eligible for AEDs and training at no cost.
"We are excited to participate in the AEDin3 Challenge to help spread awareness and ultimately, save lives," Desiree Powell, CMSD's Executive Director of Athletics, said. "Timing is everything, and this donation is right on time since we're launching a professional development program in February that supports CPR training and certification for high school health teachers; AED training and education will also be added to the curriculum for teachers and students. We appreciate the Cleveland Browns and University Hospital Initiative partnership."
The goal of the AEDin3 Initiative is to raise awareness about the importance of practicing and implementing an emergency action plan in a timely and efficient manner. The three steps are to: create an emergency action plan, practice the emergency action plan and deliver an AED shock in three minutes or less.
"CPR and defibrillation with an AED are essential to save someone's life that is experiencing sudden cardiac arrest," said Robert Flannery, MD, UH Drusinsky Sports Medicine physician and assistant physician to the Cleveland Browns. Flannery is part of the coalition that helped pass Ohio House Bill 47 requiring AEDs and training at public schools. "We are thankful for our Browns partnership; their donation will help expand UH's AEDin3 program to access the need for AEDs and serve more student-athletes in Northeast Ohio."
UH launched the AEDin3 Initiative this July as a partnership with the Browns, MTKYN and Kaulig Companies in an effort to make sure schools across the region were equipped with the proper lifesaving technology. This is of the utmost importance at athletic venues, given that about 90 percent of the 350,000 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year will not survive, according to the National Institutes of Health. AEDs drastically increase the odds of survival.
The MTKYN Foundation, founded by Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, has donated money for the purchase of AEDs. Ward lost his father to sudden cardiac arrest in 2018, when he collapsed at a spin class, with an unused AED just a few feet away. Initial funding for the AEDin3 Initiative came from Kaulig Enterprises which also produced the AEDin3 video challenge.
We encourage all schools to do the AEDin3 Challenge to ensure safety needs are met for those involved with sports of all ages. For more information on the AEDin3 Initiative and to learn how to participate, you can visit UH's AEDin3 site here.
