News

`Hands-Only CPR` Training Given At W. Va. Health Fair

Fred Pace

10/08/2015

Oct. 06--Thanks to a grant from The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, the American Heart Association's Mission: Lifeline initiative is bringing free "Hands-Only CPR" training to Boone Memorial Hospital's health fair.

The event will be on Friday, Oct. 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Madison Civic Center.

"We're grateful to The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation for allowing us the ability to bring 100 Family and Friends CPR Anytime kits to this event," said Cindy Keely, Mission: Lifeline Director for the American Heart Association. "Thanks to their generosity, we'll be able to train 100 people in the life-saving skill of CPR and each person trained will take home a kit to train their family and friends."

The American Heart Association is proud to partner with Boone Memorial Hospital in this special endeavor.

"Boone Memorial Hospital is very appreciative to the American Heart Association and the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation for providing a much needed service to our community at no charge," said Boone Memorial Hospital CEO Virgil Underwood. "To know that students and families will walk away from our health fair with the skills and confidence needed to save lives is truly wonderful."

The press event will feature special guest speakers and will see student representatives from each of the county's high schools get trained using the American Heart Association's "CPR in Schools" kits.

"With CPR now a requirement for high school graduates in West Virginia thanks to a major Legislative victory by the Association earlier this year, these students will be the first in Boone County to learn it," added Keely.

Training sessions open to the community will be held during the fair at 9am, 11am and 12pm next door to the Madison Civic Center in the Veteran's Memorial Building. Space will be limited to 15 participants per session. Only those who complete the 20-30 minute training session will receive one of the CPR kits.

The Boone Memorial Health Fair will also offer free screenings, multiple vendors, door prizes -- including two Family and Friends CPR Anytime kits -- and a wealth of information on various health aspects.

"This is an amazing partnership," said Keely. "These three entities are coming together to help make Boone County a healthier, safer place to live."

For more information about the American Heart Association or the CPR kids, contact Kevin Pauley at 304-720-7834 or via email at kevin.pauley@heart.org

For more information about the Boone Memorial Hospital Health Fair or to register for one of the 3, 25-30 minute training sessions that will take place during the BMH Health Fair contact Karlie Belle Price at 304-437-1572 or via email at kprice@bmh.org

Fred Pace is an editor for Civitas Media. He can be reached at 304-369-1165, ext. 1661, in Madison; at 304-752-6950, ext. 1729 in Logan; by email at fpace@civitasmedia.com or @fcpace62 on Twitter.