The American Heart Association and the National Football League, along with Damar Hamlin's Chasing M's Foundation, will host a large-scale Hands-Only CPR training session at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on April 24, during the NFL Draft. The event, scheduled from 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET, aims to equip fans and community members with a lifesaving skill that can double or triple survival chances after cardiac arrest. Registration is free at heart.org/NFLDraft.
Cardiac arrest strikes hundreds of thousands of Americans annually, yet more than half of victims do not receive immediate bystander CPR. The American Heart Association notes that over 90% of people who experience sudden cardiac arrest without CPR do not survive. Hands-Only CPR, which involves chest compressions without rescue breaths, can be learned in as little as 90 seconds and requires no formal certification. This training is part of a broader initiative to create a Nation of Lifesavers, launched in 2023 after Hamlin's cardiac arrest during a Monday Night Football game.
Damar Hamlin, now a National Ambassador for the Nation of Lifesavers, emphasized the personal significance of the event. "Training in CPR during the NFL Draft Experience in my hometown of Pittsburgh is a full-circle moment for me," said Hamlin. "It's about bringing people together around a powerful message: be ready, because you never know when it could be your time to save a life." The collaboration between the American Heart Association and the NFL extends year-round, with grants provided through the NFL Foundation to support CPR training and AED access in local communities.
Nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests occur at home, making bystander CPR critically important. Witnesses should call 9-1-1 and begin chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute and a depth of approximately two inches. The American Heart Association and NFL encourage everyone to learn Hands-Only CPR by visiting heart.org/HandsOnlyCPR.
