Frisco, Colorado 3/12/21. Starting Hearts has received a grant from BGV Gives to help save more lives of sudden cardiac arrest victims in Summit County. The life-saving programs will include free education and training of the CALL.PUSH.SHOCK.™ class, which teaches individuals how to properly respond in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest. Starting Hearts will also work with local government, EMS agencies and community stakeholders to help place additional public access defibrillators in highly trafficked areas of the community.
BGV Gives is a strong supporter of heart safety in Summit County and a proponent of proper and timely response to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. In 2017 and 2018, Starting Hearts received two grants to complete CPR education, training and leadership skills to K-12 students in Summit County public schools. With the goal of making Summit County one of the safest counties in the nation to suffer a sudden cardiac arrest, in September 2020, BGV Gives underwrote a complete Defibrillator Audit and Inspection in the County. This effort by Starting Hearts in conjunction with the county’s safety agencies determined the location and condition of all defibrillators and created a database shared with the county’s 911-dispatch agency. Most recently, in December 2020 BGV Gives generously granted additional funds to Starting Hearts to implement a Summit County community outreach program and heart safe community.
Mike Dudick, CEO Owner/Developer of Breckenridge Grand Vacations stated, “Breckenridge Grand Vacations was eager to jump-start the community-wide effort being led by Starting Hearts to facilitate widely accessible CPR and AED education. Our hope is that there is never a question in finding or using an AED so that more lives can be saved. By supporting Starting Hearts’ presence in Summit County, the organization is working with businesses, schools, local government and nonprofits to not only educate, but assist with the management and placement of publicly accessible AEDs across the county.”
Starting Hearts Summit County Project Director, Jackie Christiansen shared her excitement about the partnership. "As a Dillon resident, I am thrilled to be involved in the expansion of our life-saving programs in Summit County. Through the financial support and partnership of BGV Gives we will be able to help increase the survivor rate of cardiac arrest victims in the County.”
Through its programs and community partnerships, Starting Hearts has been able to achieve a survivor rate of 25% in Eagle County - 2 ½ times the national average, and 4 times that of the state. Their goal is to help create the same results in Summit County with a target of training 50% of Summit County's population in the next 3 years.
About BGV Gives
Founded in 2016, the BGV Gives Program was established to facilitate and further extend Breckenridge Grand Vacations’ philanthropic reach and impact in Summit County and the surrounding area. Inspired by the late BGV Owner/Developer, Rob Millisor, this charitable program honors his example of service to others by supporting the local nonprofit community.
BGV is excited and humbled to continue Rob’s legacy of giving through fundraising, sponsorships, grants, volunteering and in-kind donations on behalf of those in need, with a primary focus on health, human services, art and culture, education, sports and recreation and environment. With guidance from BGV Gives Program Manager Deb Edwards, BGV Gives is committed to growing BGV’s local contributions and inspiring fellow community members to give more by providing resources and opportunities to help others in need.
About Starting Hearts
Starting Hearts has operated in Eagle County, Colorado since 2010, and has training trained tens of thousands of individuals, including Summit County School students. Children and adults learn how to recognize the signs of Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and how to respond with the CALL.PUSH.SHOCK.™ response. CALL.PUSH.SHOCK.™ is a free one-hour class that is offered to everyone in the community.
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the nation’s number one cause of preventable death with nearly 400,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring each year. Nationwide, less than 10% of the victims survive and the Colorado statistics are even lower. Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone at any time and a person’s chance of survival decreases by 10% with every minute that passes without proper bystander intervention; brain damage occurs in just four minutes. The survivor rate can increase dramatically just by knowing and implementing a few basic steps.
For information on Starting Hearts Free Educational and Training Classes and CPR Certifications, please visit www.StartingHearts.org or contact us at info@startinghearts.org
