Representatives from Franciscan Health Michigan City, Play For Jake Foundation, and Bolt for the Heart came together to present 26 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) across Northwest Indiana.
Bolt for the Heart is an annual family run that raises funds to provide lifesaving support for people who experience sudden cardiac arrest.
These AEDs were presented to multiple police departments. This includes departments in areas such as Long Beach, Trail Creek, Purdue University Northwest, Kingsford Heights, Westville, Kingsbury, Pottawattomie Park, and the City of La Porte.
Pierre Twer, president at Bolt for the Heart, has been working on this project for a long time.
“We partnered up with the Play for Jake Foundation and Franciscan Health five years ago,” Twer said. “This year’s run, which concluded about a month ago, allowed us to buy 165 AEDs to place inside the police cars in La Porte County.”
While the AEDs have been supplied to a plethora of police departments in the Region, Twer hopes they can find a way to create more opportunities they have in La Porte County.
“There’s 92 counties in the state,” Twer said. “La Porte is the third county in Indiana to get an AED in every police car. Our goal is to eventually make the same thing happen for the rest of the counties.”
Dean Mazzoni, president and chief executive officer at Franciscan Health Michigan City, feels that this partnership to fund AEDs for law enforcement helps exemplify what their organization is all about.
“If someone has a cardiac event, we want to be there to care for them,” Mazzoni said. “This is the type of event and program that helps keep people healthy. We believe that this event aligns completely with what we do and how we care for the community.”
Julie West, founder of the Play For Jake Foundation, started the nonprofit in 2014 after she lost her son Jake to cardiac arrest a year prior. She describes how the foundation has made adjustments over time to consistently spread awareness and promote safety practices.
“When we first started, we were doing a lot of heart screenings,” West said. “We’ve changed our direction while working with AED advocacy. We partnered up with Bolt for the Heart years ago and it’s been wonderful to work with such compassionate people.”
All three organizations were appreciative of the overwhelming support in helping create a safer environment in La Porte County.
“We’re really happy with the outcome and couldn’t be more pleased with the continued support of the community,” Mazzoni said. “It’s been a great partnership all around.”
Tom Dermody, mayor of La Porte, recognized the work done by Franciscan Health Michigan City, Play For Jake Foundation, and Bolt for the Heart to ensure safety in a situation of sudden cardiac arrest.
“With all the organizations coming together today, we’re seeing difference makers here every single day,” Dermody said. “We will hear soon enough where even more lives are being saved, and that’s what this is all about.”
For more information on Franciscan Health Michigan City, Play For Jake Foundation, or Bolt for the Heart, you can visit their websites.
