MESA, AZ (AZFamily) – Fremont Junior High School received a brand new automated electronic defibrillator (AED) as part of a new initiative from the Fiesta Sports Foundation.

It is one of many schools in the state to receive this donation to ensure the safety of students and staff.

“We don’t think about young people suffering cardiac arrest, but we know that sometimes it happens with athletes and teachers. We wanted to figure out how we could make an impact while saving lives,” said Erik Moses, the organization’s CEO.

According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 7,000 children and adolescents experience sudden cardiac arrest each year, and 13% of young athletes die from sudden cardiac arrest.

As part of the so-called AED Assistance Program, teachers also receive training in how to use the AED and how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid.

“This is the first step to make sure we can prevent something like this from happening. God forbid something like this happens,” Moses said.

Approximately 10,000 students and 700 teachers will benefit from this grant. If you know of a school that could benefit from this program, click/tap here.

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