On June 4, the Red Sox Foundation and the American Heart Association transformed Fenway Park into a lifesaving training ground, equipping 400 invited attendees with Hands-Only CPR skills following the Red Sox–Orioles game. Youth athletes, coaches, educators, healthcare advocates and community leaders gathered in the outfield to participate in an immersive training designed to equip bystanders with the confidence and skills to respond during sudden cardiac arrest emergencies. The event, held during National CPR and AED Awareness Week (June 1-7), underscored the vital role bystanders play in improving survival outcomes.
“We are deeply grateful to the Red Sox Foundation for their extraordinary leadership in bringing this lifesaving effort to Fenway Park,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “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.” Earlier in the day, a panel discussion focused on heart health, emergency response preparedness, and bystander intervention. The discussion, moderated by Dr. Jennifer Ashton, 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 lifesaver duo Marc Henderson and Jim McQuade.
“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. “Providing access to lifesaving education like Hands-Only CPR is one of the many ways we work to create lasting impact beyond the ballpark.” By completing the training, participants joined the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™, a global movement launched in 2023 following the sudden cardiac arrest of NFL player Damar Hamlin. The initiative has focused on expanding CPR education and increasing access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) through the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, of which Major League Baseball is a founding member.
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals each year in the U.S., and about 90% are fatal, often because CPR isn’t performed soon enough. Hands‑Only CPR for teens and adults has just two steps: call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100–120 beats per minute to a depth of approximately two inches. The American Heart Association emphasizes that no special training is required. For more information, visit heart.org or redsoxfoundation.org.
