MEDIA ALERT

WHO:               State Representative Melissa Olson, State Representative Bryan Hurlburt, Dr. Mark Cohan, Larry Pontbriant Athletic Safety Fund, National Institutes of Health, American Red Cross Connecticut Chapter, Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, a sudden cardiac arrest survivor, and the faculty and students of Norwich Free Academy

WHAT:            CPR and AEDs in Schools: A Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness and Discovery Ceremony

WHERE:         Norwich Free Academy (Frank Center, Ensemble Room), 305 Broadway, Norwich, Conn.

WHEN:           Thursday, April 29, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

WHY:             More people die each year from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) than from colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, auto accidents, AIDS, firearms, and house fires combined, making SCA a leading cause of death worldwide. In the U.S. alone, approximately 250,000 people die every year from SCA.

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, local legislators and school administrators will share some special remarks at the ceremony underscoring the need to continue building public awareness of SCA and engaging the Norwich community in preparedness.

We are honoring the Norwich Free Academy for winning the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation video awareness contest, and awarding the prizes—a new automated external defibrillator (AED) from Zoll Medical and a Nintendo WII gaming system—which will then be donated to the Larry Pontbriant Athletic Safety Fund. We will also hear from the Pontbriant family about the impact SCA has had on their lives, and will hold a CPR and AED Discovery Session, a hands-on exercise introducing students, faculty and other attendees to life-saving skills.

CONTACT:      Carissa Caramanis O’Brien
Phone: 978-875-2020
Email: carissa [dot] obrien [at] sca-aware [dot] org  l   Twitter: @carissao
www.sca-aware.org/sca-newsroom

About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation
The Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Foundation is a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its mission is to serve as an information clearinghouse and social marketing force dedicated to raising public awareness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), and stimulating attitudinal and behavioral changes that will help save more lives. Initiatives include an online registry for SCA survivors, an online community for people affected by SCA, an awareness campaign for schools, and the "People Saving People" awards. The SCA Foundation maintains a national database of survivors and experts available to speak with the media. For more information, visit http://www.sca-aware.org, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/youcansavealife and like us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/youcansavealife.   
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