According to the American Heart Association, a relentless force changing the future of health for everyone everywhere, approximately 436,000 Americans die from cardiac arrest each year — most often outside a hospital. Bystander CPR can double or triple a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival, yet fewer than half receive it, highlighting a critical gap in community preparedness. To support the Association’s efforts to enhance CPR readiness and build a community of lifesavers in Western New York, around 400 people gathered at the Buffalo Heart Walk on Saturday, September 12 at SUNY Niagara, raising more than $100,000 and learning lifesaving CPR skills.
This year’s Heart Walk brought together heart disease and stroke survivors, participants from dozens of local companies and other community members to learn the lifesaving skills of Hands-Only CPR, celebrate local survivors and support the mission of the Association.
“In a heartbeat, you could be the difference,” aid Katrina Karas, M.H.A., FACHE, American Heart Association volunteer chair of the Buffalo Heart Walk and vice president of service line operations at Kaleida Health. “By equipping more people with the skills needed to save a life, we’re working toward creating a culture where every home has someone confident and prepared to respond when it matters most. That’s extraordinary.”
According to the Association’s 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, 39% of respondents report feeling “extremely confident” or “very confident” when asked about their ability to perform CPR — an increase from 33% in 2021, which equates to approximately 17.7 million more adults highly confident in their CPR skills. However, 61% of respondents still do not report high levels of confidence to act during a cardiac emergency, underscoring the critical need for continued CPR training and awareness.
Heart Walk is the Association’s largest community-facing initiative, reaching more than 10 million people nationwide each year. Through fundraising, community education and corporate engagement, Heart Walk aims to enhance CPR training accessibility, bolster bystander preparedness, increase funding for cardiovascular research and drive equitable health for all people.
The Buffalo Heart Walk is locally sponsored by T-Mobile, Orville’s Home Appliances, Kaleida Health, Catholic Health D’Youville University and more, including media sponsors Buffalo Healthy Living and News 4. To learn Hands-Only CPR, donate or register for future Heart Walk events, visit www.heart.org/buffalowalk.