Amazon team presenting American Heart Association $10,000 check

Maryland woman awards Greater Washington Region $10,000 as Amazon’s ‘most thanked’ driver

Written by Brendan Locke, Development Intern

A simple thank you can go a long way. As Amazon’s ‘most thanked’ driver in December, Shirley Gale, a delivery driver based in Lanham, MD, had the opportunity to award $10,000 to a charity of her choice. Shirley chose the American Heart Association – Greater Washington Region because of our commitment to CPR education.

Two people hugging“It’s important that everybody does know CPR because you never know. Anybody could have a heart attack in front of you. Anybody could stop breathing in front of you. Somebody has to know how to bring that person back to life and give them a second chance,” she said.

Amazon granted the award on Shirley’s behalf through their “Alexa, thank my driver” promotion. Shirley’s colleagues and the Greater Washington Region team came together during Heart Month to celebrate her passion for serving our community.

“At the center of our work are people like Shirley who fiercely champion the mission ofAmerican Heart Association team holding check the American Heart Association and answer the call to improve lives each day. We are honored to be selected as her charity of choice and are moved by her conviction to inspire people across the Greater Washington Region to learn lifesaving CPR,” Soula Antoniou, Executive Director, American Heart Association said.

Each year, more than 350,000 individuals experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA), and CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple their chances of survival. However, less than half of OCHA victims receive CPR before professional help arrives, and bystander CPR rates are even lower for Hispanic and Black adults. During Heart Month, the Association is challenging people everywhere to “Be the Beat” for their families, communities and loved ones by learning the two steps to save a life.

Accept the challenge to learn Hands-Only CPR in honor of Shirley. It takes less than two minutes to become a lifesaver!