The American Heart Association and the NFL Foundation have renewed their collaboration to promote Hands-Only CPR education in schools, awarding five students with tickets to Super Bowl LXI and five schools with $10,000 each for physical activity equipment makeovers. The initiative, announced as part of the Association's in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™, underscores a growing push to equip young people with lifesaving skills amid alarming cardiac arrest statistics.
More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States, with 70% happening at home, according to the 2023 American Heart Association Statistical Update. Data from the 2022 CARES registry show that 9 out of 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital die, often because they do not receive immediate CPR. Bystander CPR can double or triple survival chances, making widespread training critical.
The awards recognize students Finley of Tonawanda, New York; Amelia of Parma, Ohio; Nicolas of Doral, Florida; Sophia of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; and Mark of Mesa, Arizona, each of whom will receive two tickets to Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium. The schools receiving equipment grants are Chancellor Elementary in Fredericksburg, Virginia; Lincoln K-8 in Rochester, Minnesota; Watertown Elementary in Watertown, Tennessee; Commonwealth Elementary in Sugar Land, Texas; and Olita Elementary in La Habra, California.
Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association, emphasized the impact: “Every student who learns Hands-Only CPR represents another potential lifesaver in their home, school or community. The NFL’s unparalleled reach into communities across the country helps us bring lifesaving CPR education directly to students where they learn and play.”
The program uses the NFL's platform to scale CPR training. A video by Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor, introduces the Hands-Only CPR module, sharing how CPR saved his life. The NFL Foundation has committed to continuing the incentives for the 2026-27 school year, with tickets to Super Bowl LXII and more school grants.
Schools can participate through the Kids Heart Challenge, which offers free Hands-Only CPR instruction aligned with the Association's official guidelines for CPR. Parents and administrators can visit heart.org/jointhechallenge to learn more. The initiative supports the Association's goal to double cardiac emergency survival rates by 2030.
As the global leader in resuscitation science, the American Heart Association encourages everyone to join the Nation of Lifesavers. Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/nation. Additional resources, including multimedia and a video honoring the winners, are available via the link. For more information on the American Heart Association, visit heart.org or stroke.org.
