The American Heart Association brought critical heart health education to the stands of Lincoln Financial Field during the Battle of the Legends college football game between Delaware State Hornets and Norfolk State Spartans, headlined by former NFL stars DeSean Jackson and Michael Vick. The event focused on raising awareness about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the leading cause of sudden cardiac death among young athletes, and teaching Hands-Only CPR to fans.
According to the American Heart Association, HCM affects as many as 1 in every 500 young people in the United States, yet it often goes undiagnosed. The condition causes the heart muscle to thicken and stiffen, impairing its ability to pump blood. At the pregame “Heart Health Zone,” fans learned the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions through walk-up style education, part of the Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, which aims to double cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030.
“Moments like this remind us that heart health belongs everywhere - in our homes, our schools and even at the 50-yard line,” said Jennifer Litchman-Green, executive director of the American Heart Association, Greater Philadelphia. “Conditions like HCM are so prevalent, yet so many people don’t know how widespread the condition is or how to jump into action if a sudden cardiac arrest episode happens. By reaching fans and families where they are, we are helping build stronger, more informed communities that know how to protect and save lives.”
Throughout the evening, fans received business cards with QR codes linking to additional information about HCM, Hands-Only CPR, and how to start a Heart Club at schools. The Association’s presence at the event underscores its broader mission to ensure that historically underrepresented communities have access to life-saving knowledge and resources. This activation builds on ongoing work with historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), student-athletes, and community leaders to improve health literacy and outcomes for heart disease and stroke.
The Association’s HCM awareness and education efforts are supported in part by a grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation. Fans were encouraged to visit Heart.org/HCMStudentAthlete and Heart.org/Nation to continue learning and sharing resources within their networks. By integrating heart health education into popular events like the Battle of the Legends, the American Heart Association is taking a proactive approach to preventing sudden cardiac death and empowering communities to act in emergencies.
