Five students and five schools have been awarded special incentive prizes as part of a collaboration between the American Heart Association and the National Football League (NFL) Foundation to encourage young people to learn Hands-Only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The announcement, made via NEWMEDIAWIRE, highlights a growing push to equip students with lifesaving skills amid persistently low bystander CPR rates.
Students who participated in the Association’s in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™, during the 2025-26 school year and learned Hands-Only CPR were eligible for incentive prize drawings from the NFL. Individual prizes included tickets to Super Bowl LXI, and participating schools were eligible for a drawing of $10,000 for a physical activity equipment makeover. The five student winners—Finley of Tonawanda, New York; Amelia of Parma, Ohio; Nicolas of Doral, Florida; Sophia of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; and Mark of Mesa, Arizona—each received two tickets to Super Bowl LXI on Feb. 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The five schools receiving $10,000 for equipment makeovers are Chancellor Elementary School in Fredericksburg, Virginia; Lincoln K-8 in Rochester, Minnesota; Watertown Elementary in Watertown, Tennessee; Commonwealth Elementary in Sugar Land, Texas; and Olita Elementary in La Habra, California.
“Every student who learns Hands-Only CPR represents another potential lifesaver in their home, school or community,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “The NFL’s unparalleled reach into communities across the country helps us bring lifesaving CPR education directly to students where they learn and play. By combining the NFL’s platform and influence with the American Heart Association’s leadership in resuscitation science and education, we can equip more young people with the skills and confidence to act in a cardiac emergency and help create a nation of lifesavers.”
The importance of this initiative is underscored by stark statistics: more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year, with 70% occurring at home. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. A scientific statement from the Association shows that children as young as age four can impact survival by calling 911, and children as young as 9 can provide quality chest compressions. These figures, detailed in the 2023 American Heart Association Statistical Update and the 2022 CARES registry, illustrate why early training is critical.
“As PLAY 60 enters its 20th season, we have an exciting opportunity to build on the program’s impact while continuing to evolve how we help kids get active and stay healthy,” said NFL senior vice president of social responsibility, Anna Isaacson. “PLAY 60 partners like the American Heart Association are critical to that mission, helping us create engaging new ways for children to play, move and reach 60 minutes of physical activity each day.” The NFL’s support includes an introduction video by Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor, who shares that CPR saved his life and encourages kids to learn the skill.
The NFL Foundation has renewed its commitment to support CPR education for the 2026-27 school year. Once again, five student participants will receive tickets to Super Bowl LXII on Feb. 1, 2028, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, and five schools will receive $10,000 fitness equipment makeovers. Entries are available now to those completing the Hands-Only CPR module called Finn’s Mission. Parents and school administrators can visit heart.org/jointhechallenge to learn how their students can participate.
The American Heart Association, the global leader in resuscitation science, publishes the official guidelines for CPR and has committed to doubling survival rates of cardiac emergencies by 2030. With most cardiac arrests outside the hospital occurring at home, knowing CPR is critically important for all families. The Association encourages everyone to join the Nation of Lifesavers initiative. Take 90 seconds to learn how to save a life now at www.heart.org/nation.
