The National Football League and its long-time partners, the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross, today announced a commitment to promote cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education and work with coaches and others involved in youth sports to ensure they have the proper training and equipment to respond to medical emergencies. Amid the current national dialogue on emergency preparedness in sports, the NFL is supporting these efforts through activations during Super Bowl week, amplifying CPR educational materials, and enhancing long-term partnerships on the national and local levels.
During Super Bowl week and throughout February, American Heart Month, fundraising activities will deliver financial support to further CPR education and youth sports safety efforts across the country over the longer-term. These include a Super Bowl 50/50 raffle open to Arizona residents and fans attending the game at State Farm Stadium. The winner of the 50/50 raffle will receive half of the jackpot total from the raffle ticket sales; the other half will benefit the NFL Foundation to support this work, including through the American Heart Association, the Red Cross and their local affiliates.
Additionally, the NFL will host a special fundraiser via NFL Auction beginning on Thursday, Feb. 9, that will include unique items signed by NFL players, Legends and celebrities from the NFL Honors awards show, and Super Bowl items that will include a game ball signed by the Super Bowl MVP and the coin from the coin toss. Charitable contributions are awarded by the NFL Foundation to its nonprofit partners and will help support these safety efforts. Fans can bid on such items by visiting NFL.com/auction. The NFL is targeting a goal of more than $1 million in financial support through these activities and plans to supplement these fundraising efforts with grants from the NFL Foundation. The NFL does not profit from the sale or auction of items via NFL Auction.
With nearly three out of four cardiac arrests occurring in homes, knowing how to deliver CPR is critically important. To ensure more people understand how to handle an emergency situation, the NFL is teaming up with the American Heart Association and the Red Cross to spread awareness of available resources, including American Heart Association's "Be the Beat" Hands-Only CPR campaign and the Red Cross Hands Only Expertise found at redcross.org/HandsOnlyCPR.
Throughout Super Bowl week in Arizona, the NFL and American Heart Association will provide free CPR education at the NFL Experience presented by Lowe's located at the Phoenix Convention Center. Visitors of the mobile training unit will receive hands-only CPR training from experts and receive CPR information that can be shared in their communities. In addition, the American Heart Association is complementing and amplifying its efforts to extend awareness through its simultaneous collaboration with Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin and his #3forHeart™ CPR Challenge, a viral social media initiative intended to drive even greater awareness of CPR by encouraging people to take three simple steps: 1) Learn CPR 2) Give to support CPR research, education and training 3) Share the word with others.
"Being able to deliver care in emergency situations is not just important at sporting events, but in all walks of life," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "Our continued partnerships with the American Heart Association and the American Red Cross will ensure even more people have the capability to administer CPR and respond to emergencies. The tools and trainings exist to keep young athletes safe -- we embrace our responsibility to ensure that knowledge is in as many hands as possible for the greatest positive impact."
"It is an honor to collaborate with our friends at the NFL and the American Red Cross to leverage Super Bowl LVII to spread the lifesaving word," said American Heart Association chief executive officer Nancy Brown. "If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you will most likely be trying to save the life of someone you know or love. Immediate CPR can double or triple chances of survival after cardiac arrest. Keeping the blood flow active -- even partially -- extends the opportunity for a successful resuscitation once trained medical staff arrive on site."
"The recent attention around CPR training is a powerful reminder that emergencies can happen at any time," said Gail J. McGovern, American Red Cross president & CEO. "Those who have skills like CPR save lives, as we saw a few weeks ago in Cincinnati. The Red Cross is proud that the heroes on the field from the Buffalo Bills training staff who helped save the life of Damar Hamlin were Red Cross CPR/AED trained. We're grateful to know he can have more time with his family to enjoy life. Thanks to partners like the NFL and the American Heart Association we can get more people trained and know more lives can be saved."
Along with working to deliver CPR education nationwide, the NFL is collaborating with its partners to ensure that young athletes are guaranteed high-quality medical support when they practice and play. This includes enhanced CPR and emergency preparedness training for coaches and others involved in youth sports, which is available through trainings offered by the American Heart Association and the Red Cross. The NFL will work to make this training more accessible through support of existing programs and community-based partnerships.