Fenway Park Hosts CPR Training for 400 During National CPR Week, Highlighting Bystander Intervention
The Red Sox Foundation and American Heart Association trained 400 people in Hands-Only CPR at Fenway Park, emphasizing the critical role of bystanders in improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest.
On June 4, the Red Sox Foundation and the American Heart Association transformed Fenway Park into a lifesaving training ground, equipping 400 invited participants with Hands-Only CPR skills following the Red Sox–Orioles game. The event, held during National CPR and AED Awareness Week (June 1-7), aimed to address the staggering statistic that sudden cardiac arrest kills hundreds of thousands in the U.S. each year, often because bystanders lack the confidence to act.
Youth athletes, coaches, educators, healthcare advocates, and community leaders gathered in the outfield for an immersive training session designed to empower bystanders to respond during cardiac emergencies. By completing the training, participants officially joined the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers, a global movement launched in 2023 following NFL player Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest. Major League Baseball is a founding member of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, and the Heart Association will offer Hands-Only CPR skills to fans at the All-Star Village in Philadelphia from July 11-14.
“We are deeply grateful to the Red Sox Foundation for their extraordinary leadership in bringing this lifesaving effort to Fenway Park,” said Nancy Brown, CEO 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 moderated by Dr. Jennifer Ashton, founder of Ajenda and American Heart Association board member, featured Brown, 2018 Red Sox World Series Champion Brock Holt, Angel City FC defender and cardiac arrest survivor Savy King, and local survivor duo Marc Henderson and Jim McQuade. The discussion focused on heart health, emergency response preparedness, and the importance of bystander intervention.
“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.”
More than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals each year in the U.S., with about 90% fatal, often because CPR isn’t performed soon enough. Hands-Only CPR for teens and adults has just two steps: call 911 and 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 approximately two inches.
“Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, and survival often depends on whether someone nearby is prepared to act in those first critical moments,” said Ashton. “Expanding access to CPR education is one of the most important ways we can strengthen public health and save lives.”