In the last number of years, 42 lives across Ireland have been saved by defibrillators located in GAA facilities being used on members of their communities. This was only possible due to operational, accessible and correctly maintained defibrillators being in place.
The GAA is marking this by encouraging every Club in the Country to ensure that they have an operational Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in place. AEDs, like all medical equipment, need to be maintained and, eventually, replaced over time. The life expectancy of an AED is between 8 and 10 years. If your AED is older than 8 Years, you should consider replacing it.
It is hoped that Clubs will “A.C.T.” now and ensure that they have AEDs in place and that they are ACCESSIBLE, CHARGED and that there are enough TRAINED rescuers within your Club who have the ability to operate the device(s).
To support this initiative, the GAA is launching the Community Heart Program, in conjunction with Stryker, a world leader in defibrillator manufacturing who employ 3,000 people on the island of Ireland.
What is the Community Heart Program?
• The Community Heart Program is a partnership between the GAA and Stryker which allows GAA Clubs to fundraise for life-saving Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) via a bespoke fundraising platform.
• The Program allows clubs to fundraise for new Lifepak® CR2 AEDs, which is connected to the internet via the mobile phone network. This means the AED will check itself and notify designated club members via email if there is an issue with the device.
• In addition to having a bespoke fundraising platform, Clubs will be able to avail of a significant reduction of €995 saving per unit if they register and secure their AED(s) via the Community Hearts Program.
• Once the fundraising target of €2,150 has been reached, the AED unit(s) will also be delivered directly to the Club. Program partners Heart Safety Solutions will supply the unit to the club.
How does the Community Heart Program work?
• Register your Club via the link below:
o https://savealife.communityheartprogram.com/gaa/registration
• During the registration process you will be asked to select how many AEDs you wish to raise funds for. This will determine the fundraising target.
• Once your Club has been registered and the fundraising page has been set up, simply share the link to the fundraising page with Club Members, Club Supporters and anyone who may wish to donate.
• The fundraising page will remain active for 3 months. If the fundraising target is reached before this, the page will no longer accept donations.
• Once the fundraising target has been hit, you do not need to complete any further steps. The funds will be automatically transferred to Heart Safety Solutions, who will deliver and install your AED(s).
• There is an extensive FAQ section contained on the Community Heart Program website to assist with any queries you might have.
If your query cannot be answered by the FAQ section, please contact the GAA regarding the Community Heart Program at GAA@hearts.ie.
If you have any questions about your Club’s fundraising page during or after registration, please contact JustGiving at help@justgiving.com.
By wicklowpro Fri 19th Mar
