The National Football League Foundation and American Heart Association have announced the winners of incentive prizes awarded to students and schools for participating in Hands-Only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) education programs during the 2024-25 school year. Five students received tickets to Super Bowl LX, while five schools were awarded $10,000 each for physical activity equipment makeovers as part of a collaborative effort to increase CPR training among youth.
The student winners include Hanrock of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania; Frankie of Appleton, Wisconsin; Lucy of Riverview, Florida; Chelsie of Rockwall, Texas; and Alicia of Kirkland, Washington, who each received two tickets to Super Bowl LX taking place on February 8, 2026, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The school recipients are East Pointe Elementary School in Greenwood, Arkansas; Ehrman Crest Elementary School in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania; Orchard Park Elementary School in Fort Mill, South Carolina; Stratford School in San Francisco, California; and Stephen-Argyle Central Elementary School in Stephen, Minnesota.
This initiative addresses a critical public health concern, as more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States annually, with 70% happening at home. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, often because they do not receive immediate CPR more than half of the time. Immediate CPR can double or triple a person's chance of survival.
Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association, stated that through the NFL's incentives, the organization is motivating more students to complete the Hands-Only CPR module and share their knowledge with families, expanding awareness of how to respond in cardiac emergencies. The collaboration has reached more schools and empowered more students with lifesaving skills.
The program features an introduction video by Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, a cardiac arrest survivor who credits CPR with saving his life. The video appears before the Kids Heart Challenge Hands-Only CPR online learning module, encouraging children to learn the skill. Each elementary student who completed the online module earned an entry for Super Bowl tickets, while participating schools received entries for the equipment makeovers.
The NFL Foundation has renewed its commitment for the 2025-2026 school year, offering five student participants tickets to Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and five schools $10,000 fitness equipment makeovers. Entries are available through the Hands-Only CPR module called Finn's Mission. Parents and school administrators can visit heart.org/schools to learn about student participation.
The American Heart Association, which publishes the official guidelines for CPR, aims to double survival rates of cardiac emergencies by 2030 through this educational initiative. Research shows that children as young as four can impact survival rates by calling 911, while proper CPR involves chest compressions at 100-120 beats per minute to a depth of approximately two inches. The Association encourages broader participation through its Nation of Lifesavers initiative, offering resources at www.heart.org/nation.
Alexia Gallagher, NFL Vice President of Philanthropy and Executive Director of the NFL Foundation, emphasized that the collaboration ensures young people across the country are equipped with knowledge and confidence to act in cardiac emergencies, strengthening the chain of survival and building healthier communities. The Kids Heart Challenge program, which has worked with schools for 48 years, now includes various physical activities paired with digital missions like Hands-Only CPR, recognizing the connection between physical and mental health.
