The American Heart Association, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the National Football League (NFL) have kicked off two significant programs ahead of the 2024 NFL season, focusing on children's health and CPR education. The initiatives, launched at Three Trails Elementary School in Independence, Missouri, aim to reduce sedentary behavior among children and increase CPR knowledge to improve survival rates of cardiac arrest by 2030.
The NFL PLAY 60™ program encourages children to engage in 60 minutes of physical activity daily, supporting both their mental and physical health. The program's importance is underscored by the American Heart Association's recommendation that children should get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. In line with this, nearly 150 third and fourth graders at Three Trails Elementary got a preview of the NFL PLAY 60 Kickoff Broadcast, which will be aired in classrooms nationwide on September 19. A second broadcast is scheduled before Super Bowl LIX on February 6, 2025.
Anna Isaacson, NFL Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility, expressed excitement about the program's 18th season, emphasizing its role in promoting healthy lifestyles among youth in the Kansas City community. “Together with our partners at the American Heart Association, we're proud to support programs and resources that help ensure kids everywhere can lead a healthy lifestyle,” Isaacson stated.
The second initiative, the Nation of Lifesavers™, aims to double survival rates for cardiac arrest by 2030 through widespread CPR education. This program is critical, as nearly 3 out of 4 cardiac arrests outside hospitals occur at home. With more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happening annually in the U.S., the importance of knowing how to perform CPR cannot be overstated. The American Heart Association, a global leader in resuscitation science, has committed to this educational effort, underscoring that immediate chest compressions can significantly increase survival rates.
In support of this initiative, the Kansas City Chiefs have actively participated by offering CPR training to youth sports coaches and donating CPR in Youth Sports Kits to area schools. These kits will enable further CPR education within schools, extending to faculty, staff, and coaches. Chiefs EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, Lara Krug, highlighted the importance of these efforts, saying, “By promoting active lifestyles as well as providing education and access to the necessary tools to save lives, we’re contributing to the ability of our communities to look out for each other.”
The collaboration between the NFL, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the American Heart Association represents a significant commitment to public health and safety. By encouraging physical activity among children and expanding CPR education, these initiatives aim to foster healthier communities and potentially save lives. For more information on these programs, visit heart.org/NFLPLAY60 and heart.org/nation.
