A number of local organizations have been awarded grants to purchase new life-saving equipment. The announcement came during a CPR training event in Niagara Falls Tuesday, where hundreds of student-athletes, parents and community members learned the life-saving skill.

The Buffalo Bills Foundation teamed up with Highmark Blue Cross BlueShield to make sure more lives can be saved during cardiac emergencies by awarding grants to 10 area non-profits to purchase new automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

"Early recognition and action in a cardiac emergency is the difference between life and death. When seconds matter it is important to have people nearby who are confident and capable to begin administering CPR. This event is helping to support that critical link in the community," said Megan Vargulick, executive director of the American Heart Association, Buffalo/Niagara region. "As the American Heart Association celebrates 100 years of lifesaving work, we know that with every CPR training we perform, we are one step closer to ensuring that everyone, everywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR and become a vital link in the chain of survival."

Organizations receiving grants include:

  • Cataract Youth Football and Cheerleading
  • Community Missions
  • Delaine Waring African Methodist Episcopal Church
  • Heart, Love & Soul
  • Lockport Little League
  • Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club
  • Niagara Falls Public Library (2 AEDs)
  • Packard Court Community Center
  • Slow-Roll Buffalo

"The power of collaboration is undeniable. Our ongoing partnership with the Buffalo Bills and the American Heart Association is a testament to that. Together, we continue to bring vital CPR training and resources to our community, and as of today, we’ve placed AEDs at 25 local nonprofits in both Erie and Niagara counties," said Michael Ball, vice president of community affairs for Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. "These lifesaving tools combine to make our community more resilient, and ultimately healthier."

The training event was part of the HeartBEAT initiative, a five-year, $1 million commitment by the Bills.

It was January of 2023 when Bills's safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a football game and had his life saved by team trainers who performed CPR.