At Fenway Park, ZOLL and Preston Settles’ Legacy Advance Youth Sports Safety
On September 22, ZOLL Medical, as part of its Anything Can Happen. Anyone Can Help.™ initiative and as the Official AED of Fenway Park, welcomed Darryl Settles, Dr. Lisa Owens and Taylor Settles to a special pre-game ceremony on the field at Fenway Park.
ZOLL honored the family for the work they are doing to carry forward the legacy of their 15-year-old son and brother, Preston, who died after experiencing sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball. Through the Preston Settles Memorial Fund, they advocate for greater awareness of sudden cardiac arrest, increased access to AEDs and safer, more prepared youth sports communities.
That work includes advocating for Massachusetts legislation that would require qualifying sporting facilities to have AEDs available and CPR/AED-trained personnel on site during sporting events. The measure passed the House unanimously earlier this year and remains under consideration in the Senate.
Expanding Access to AEDs for Youth Athletes
At Fenway, ZOLL and the Preston Settles Memorial Fund announced plans to provide 46 ZOLL AEDs to Red Sox Foundation Nike RBI youth baseball and softball teams serving athletes across Boston, Chelsea and Lawrence.
“We’re grateful to ZOLL and the Preston Settles Memorial Fund for bringing these lifesaving resources to our Red Sox Foundation Nike RBI communities across Boston, Chelsea and Lawrence, giving our coaches and teams the tools to respond when it matters most,” said Bekah Salwasser, Boston Red Sox Executive Vice President of Social Impact and Red Sox Foundation Executive Director. “We’re especially grateful to the Settles family, whose strength in turning Preston’s story into action is making youth sports safer in our communities.”
The AEDs will be distributed in the months ahead, helping expand access to lifesaving technology in under-resourced communities where youth sports programs play an important role in bringing young people together.
Building Cardiac Emergency Readiness in Communities
Expanding AED access is especially important because it gives people nearby the tools to act before EMS arrives, when early intervention can help improve outcomes. ZOLL AEDs feature Real CPR Help® technology, with real-time audio and visual instructions and corrective feedback to guide bystanders through high-quality CPR and, when needed, delivery of a shock.
The moment at Fenway underscored that cardiac emergency readiness should not begin when an emergency happens. It should be built into the places where people live, play and gather. By honoring Preston’s legacy and the work of the Settles family, ZOLL hopes to encourage more communities to think ahead about what it means to be ready.
See How ZOLL Is Making an Impact at Fenway. Learn more at www.AnyoneCanHelp.com/RedSox