YORK REGION, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - June 26, 2012) - Today, the Advanced Coronary Treatment (ACT) Foundation, in partnership with the Government of Ontario, The Ontario Trillium Foundation, and supporting partners is launching the ACT High School CPR and Defibrillator Training Program in all high schools in York Region. The event will take place at 11:00 a.m. at Bill Crothers Secondary School, 44 Main Street, Unionville, ON, L3R 2E4.
This program will see approximately 14,000 high school students from 48 high schools in the York Region District School Board and the York Catholic District School Board empowered to save lives each year. Two hundred and fifty (250) teachers will be trained as CPR and defibrillator instructors for their students, and over 1,700 durable mannequins and 244 defibrillator training units are being donated to schools.
The ACT Foundation is the national charitable organization that is establishing CPR and defibrillator training programs in all Canadian high schools. ACT's health partners, AstraZeneca Canada, Pfizer Canada, and Sanofi are committed to bringing the program to the York Region and to all high schools across Canada.
The ACT High School CPR and Defibrillator Training Program is built on ACT's award-winning community-based model of partnerships and support. ACT raises funds for training mannequins and defibrillator training units for all high schools and guides schools in program set-up.
ACT's provincial partners are The Ontario Trillium Foundation and Hydro One. York Region community partners are TransCanada Corporation, IBM Canada Ltd., Molise Kleinburg Estates, Nashville Developments Inc. (TACC Developments, Arista Homes, Fieldgate Homes, Paradise Homes), the Regional Municipality of York and York EMS.
Eight in 10 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur at home. Early CPR, combined with early defibrillation can increase survival rates for cardiac arrest victims by up to 75%, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
"I am a long-time advocate of citizen CPR and defibrillation training," says Dr. Dave Williams. "From my university student days as a CPR Instructor, to leading the implementation of an AED program at NASA and taking the first defibrillator into space as an astronaut, I am very proud as President and CEO of Southlake Regional Health Centre to play a key role in supporting this exciting program for our schools and youth."
"We are thrilled with the support of ACT's partners. Without them, this lifesaving program would not be
possible," says ACT Foundation Executive Director Sandra Clarke.
To date, the ACT Foundation has set up the High School CPR Program in more than 1,600 schools nation-wide, empowering more than 1.8 million youth to save lives.
ABOUT THE ACT FOUNDATION
The ACT Foundation is the national charitable organization that is establishing CPR and defibrillator training programs in all Canadian high schools. To date, the ACT Foundation has set up the ACT High School CPR Program in more than 1,600 schools nation-wide, empowering more than 1.8 million youth to save lives. The program is built on ACT's award-winning community-based model of partnerships and support. ACT's health partners who are committed to bringing the program to all high schools across Canada include AstraZeneca Canada, Pfizer Canada, and Sanofi.
Contact Information:
Communications Coordinator
ACT Foundation
1-800-465-9111 or (613) 729-3455
sford@actfoundation.ca