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 a Red Sox–Orioles game. The event, held during National CPR and AED Awareness Week (June 1-7), aimed to address the staggering statistic that more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospitals each year in the U.S., with about 90% proving fatal, often because bystanders do not act in time.
Youth athletes, coaches, educators, healthcare advocates, and community leaders gathered in the outfield to learn the two simple steps of Hands-Only CPR: calling 911 and pushing hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute, to the rhythm of songs like “Stayin’ Alive” or “Uptown Funk.” The training was designed to dispel the myth that CPR requires special certification, emphasizing that bystanders can make a critical difference in the first moments of a cardiac emergency.
“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 featured survivors and experts, including 2018 Red Sox World Series Champion Brock Holt and Angel City FC defender Savy King, a cardiac arrest survivor.
Bekah Salwasser, executive director of the Red Sox Foundation, noted the broader impact: “Providing access to lifesaving education like Hands-Only CPR is one of the many ways we work to create lasting impact beyond the ballpark.” Participants officially joined the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™, a global movement launched in 2023 after Damar Hamlin’s sudden cardiac arrest. Major League Baseball, a founding member of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, will also offer Hands-Only CPR training at the All-Star Village in Philadelphia in July.
The event highlighted the critical role of bystander intervention. “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. With more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually, the partnership between the Red Sox Foundation and the American Heart Association underscores the power of community training to save lives.
