BOSTON - During National CPR and AED Awareness Week, the Red Sox Foundation and the American Heart Association transformed Fenway Park into a lifesaving training ground on June 4, equipping 400 invited participants with Hands-Only CPR skills. The event, held after the Red Sox–Orioles game, brought together youth athletes, coaches, educators, healthcare advocates, and community leaders on the outfield to learn how to respond to sudden cardiac arrest emergencies. Sudden cardiac arrest kills hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. each year, often because bystanders lack the confidence or knowledge to act.
“We are deeply grateful to the Red Sox Foundation for their extraordinary leadership in bringing this lifesaving effort to Fenway Park. By uniting hundreds of people on the field during National CPR and AED Awareness Week, this effort not only raises awareness but equips individuals with the confidence to act when every second matters,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “Events like this remind us of the power of community - when bystanders are trained and ready, they can turn a critical moment into a lifesaving one.”
Earlier in the day, a panel discussion focused on heart health, emergency response, and bystander intervention. Moderated by Dr. Jennifer Ashton, the panel featured Brown; 2018 Red Sox World Series Champion Brock Holt; Angel City FC defender and cardiac arrest survivor Savy King; and local cardiac arrest survivor and rescuer duo Marc Henderson and Jim McQuade. Ashton emphasized, “Expanding access to CPR education is one of the most important ways we can strengthen public health and save lives. Seeing hundreds of people gathered across the Fenway Park outfield learning these lifesaving skills sent a powerful message.”
“At the Red Sox Foundation, we believe strengthening our communities means investing in the health, safety and well-being of the people who call them home,” said Bekah Salwasser, executive director of the Red Sox Foundation and executive vice president of social impact for the Boston Red Sox. “Providing access to lifesaving education like Hands-Only CPR is one of the many ways we work to create lasting impact beyond the ballpark.”
Participants who completed the training joined the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™, a global movement launched in 2023 after the sudden cardiac arrest of NFL player Damar Hamlin. The initiative focuses on expanding CPR education and access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Major League Baseball, a founding member of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, will offer Hands-Only CPR training to fans at the All-Star Village in Philadelphia from July 11-14.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals annually in the U.S., with about 90% fatal, often because CPR is not performed soon enough. The American Heart Association stresses that Hands‑Only CPR for teens and adults involves two steps: call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100–120 beats per minute, roughly the rhythm of “Stayin’ Alive” or “Uptown Funk,” to a depth of about two inches. The event underscored the critical role of bystanders in improving survival outcomes during cardiac emergencies.
