American Heart Association Leverages HBCU Football Game to Promote Cardiac Emergency Preparedness

The American Heart Association brought lifesaving cardiac education to football fans at Lincoln Financial Field during Thursday's Battle of the Legends game between former NFL stars DeSean Jackson's Delaware State Hornets and Michael Vick's Norfolk State Spartans. The organization's presence at the historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) event represents a strategic effort to reach young athletes and communities with critical information about heart health and emergency response training.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), the leading cause of sudden cardiac death among young athletes according to the American Heart Association, affects approximately 1 in every 500 young people in the United States yet often goes undiagnosed. The condition involves thickening and stiffening of the heart walls, limiting the heart's ability to pump blood properly. Through an interactive pregame "Heart Health Zone," the Association focused on HCM awareness and Hands-Only CPR education, two critical areas in preventing sudden cardiac death.

"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."

The activation builds on the Association's ongoing work with HBCUs, student-athletes, and community leaders to expand health literacy and improve outcomes for heart disease and stroke across historically underrepresented populations. Participants learned the correct rate and depth of CPR compressions through walk-up style education opportunities, adding more people to the Association's Nation of Lifesavers movement, which aims to double cardiac arrest survival rates by 2030.

Throughout the evening, fans received business cards with QR codes linking to additional resources about HCM, Hands-Only CPR, and how to start Heart Clubs at schools. The Association encouraged continued learning through their online resources at https://Heart.org/HCMStudentAthlete and https://Heart.org/Nation, providing accessible information for communities to share within their networks. The American Heart Association's HCM awareness and education in athletes is supported in part by a grant from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation.

By reaching fans and families where they gather for entertainment, the Association is helping build stronger, more informed communities equipped to protect and save lives during cardiac emergencies. This approach reflects the organization's broader mission to ensure every community, particularly those historically underrepresented in healthcare, has access to the knowledge and resources needed to live longer, healthier lives.