About Kick Start My Heart

Kick Start My Heart is a charitable foundation created by a group of Boulder, CO soccer enthusiasts in 2005. The foundation organizes annual soccer marathons, raising funds to provide Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and emergency training at local schools and sports facilities, specifically to benefit in the event of traumatic heart conditions.

Nationwide, over 7,000 children die each year from cardiac problems experienced while playing sports. In most cases, their lives could have been saved by Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and a portable AED. Athletic children are particularly susceptible to sudden cardiac arrest, but people of all ages can experience traumatic, life-threatening heart events. Survival rates can jump from less than 5% to nearly 70% with availability of an Automated External Defibrillator.

Several states have laws that require schools to have CPR training and an AED. Colorado is not one of these states. Kick Start My Heart aims to fill that gap, generating community support to achieve our goal. An AED placement package with necessary accessories and full educational training, costs approximately $1900-2400. The success of our foundation makes possible that every school and sports facility has access to an AED and cardiovascular education, to save the lives of teammates and loved ones.

With over $66,405 raised to date, Kick Start My Heart has placed 31 AEDs all over Colorado, ranging from Boulder to Castle Rock, from Denver to Colorado Springs, from Windsor to Pueblo. To achieve these results, nearly every dollar raised from donations and sponsorship goes directly to the cause, due to the all-volunteer foundation committee donating their time and expertise, and local facilities and retailers donating time and merchandise for our fund raising events. 

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