Posted on 02/02/2012

Join Susan Koeppen, KDKA TV anchor and sudden cardiac arrest survivor, on the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation team at the Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community, a 5K walk to be held on Saturday May 19 in Pittsburgh. Help raise awareness and save lives. To register, click here.

Susan KoeppenPITTSBURGH, PA--The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is honored that Susan Koeppen, KDKA TV news anchor, a wife and mother of three--and a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survivor--will be joining the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation team during this year’s Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community in Pittsburgh. The 5K walk, presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, will take place on Saturday, May 19, at Stage AE on the North Shore of Pittsburgh.

Susan's Story

Susan Koeppen, who worked for CBS News in New York, NY for seven years, had returned to Pittsburgh last fall to begin working for KDKA. She suffered sudden cardiac arrest in November, while jogging with friends in the Shadyside neighborhood in Pittsburgh. She was resuscitated thanks to immediate bystander CPR and use of a defibrillator, and she returned to work in January. Her story has become one of inspiration and enlightenment. “I am now dedicated to raising awareness about sudden cardiac arrest—and helping to educate the public about the differences between heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest,” said Koeppen. More...

About the Highmark Walk

Highmark WalkThe Highmark Walk for a Healthy Community is a fundraiser that benefits local health and human service agencies in Western Pennsylvania. The primary goal of the walk is to help these nonprofit organizations raise money for their respective missions. The secondary goal of the walk is to energize community members to have a greater hand in their health by becoming or staying physically active. Last year, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation team attracted 75 walkers and raised $10,000, including a sponsorship from Zoll Medical Corporation. With your help, we will increase these numbers in 2012.

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield underwrites the cost of the walk so that 100 percent of the money raised by walkers at the Pittsburgh Walk goes directly to the participating organization.

How You Can Help Raise Awareness

Register and become a FriendRaiser. When you become a FriendRaiser, we'll provide you with your very own Personal FriendRaising Page. Then you can use your Personal FriendRaising Page to let everyone know why the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation mission is important to you. Invite your friends, family and co-workers to show their support for you by making a donation on your behalf. Contributions to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation team will be used to support educational programs designed to raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and help save lives.

Here are some tips:

  1. Set a fundraising goal of at least $100. It's as easy as asking 10 friends for $10.
  2. Donate yourself. It shows your commitment to the cause.
  3. Ask family, friends, and co-workers to help you in supporting a good cause. Ask early and often.
  4. Build a team, for example, Family and Friends of (Survivor) (Loved one who did not survive), Fans of (Rescuer), Students from (Name of high school or college), Members of the (Sorority, Fraternity), (ABC) company.
  5. Register in February and be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card.

Whether you walk with Susan or become a Virtual Walker you are welcome to create a team or join an existing team.

To register as a Walker (Pittsburgh area) or Virtual Walker (everywhere else), click here.

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation will award prizes to the individual who raises the most money, the team that raises the most money, and the team with the most walkers.

Mark Saturday, May 19, on your calendar, and start gathering friends, family members, neighbors, and co-workers to join you on the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation team at the Highmark Walk. Questions? Contact Amanda Seagle at amanda.seagle [at] sca-aware.org.

Corporate Sponsors

Corporations that wish to sponsor the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation team should contact Mary Newman at mary.newman [at] sca-aware.org or 724-934-0034.

About Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Causes of Death in the U.S.Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is different from heart attack. While heart attack is described as a “plumbing problem,” SCA is more of an “electrical problem” that prevents the heart from functioning effectively. Heart attack can lead to SCA, but there are many other causes, such as congenital abnormalities, severe heart failure, electrocution and drug overdose. More.. SCA affects 295,000 people each year. That's comparable to the number of people who die from AIDS, Alzheimers, assault with firearms, breast cancer, colon cancer, house fires, motor vehicle accidents, prostate cancer and suicides combined.

The average survival rate from SCA is 8%. So many more victims could survive if the general public understood the need for bystanders to provide CPR and use the nearest automated external defibrillator (AED) to restore the victim’s heartbeat. In fact, some communities have achieved survival rates of 34% and higher.

About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is a national nonprofit organization based in Pittsburgh. Its mission is to raise awareness about SCA and give ‘ordinary people’ the power to save a life. Programs include the National SCA Survivor Network™ and the You Can Save a Life educational campaigns.

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