This year the Hawaii Heart Foundation taught the entire 6th grade CPR, and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator, or AED. My Legacy Project is to purchase an AED for the school cafeteria. An AED is a device that shocks a person's heart back into the correct rhythm after they have had a heart attack or cardiac arrest. Our cafeteria is used for many events, by both the school and community. Besides breakfast and lunch, the cafeteria is used for school events such as assemblies, A+ after school care, PTA functions, and special events such as Grandparents Day, Curriculum Fair, Winter Games Night, Science Fair, Talent Show, and the 6th Grade Graduation. The school cafeteria is also used in the evenings and weekends by community groups such as Zumba, Jazzercize, Line Dancing, the Enchanted Lake Baptist Church, and the Olomana Community Association.
In my research I learned that heart attacks occur most often in people that are active, and in the elderly. The American Heart Association says, "Nearly 400,000 Americans experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year and almost 90% of them die." That means that 360,00 people die each year from cardiac arrest. In most cases heart compressions and calling 911 isn't enough. People that have had their heart shocked by an AED after they have had a heart attack or cardiac arrest have almost a 100% chance of survival.

The second part of my Legacy Project is to teach the 5th graders how to do CPR, and how to use an AED. This way, they will be able to perform CPR and operate the AED when needed. I hope they will continue with the legacy by training the next set of 5th graders.