Play With Heart Foundation donates AED to San Diego American Little League

Play With Heart Foundation and Response Ready partnered to place an AED with San Diego American Little League during the league’s May 23 closing ceremony in San Diego. The donation is part of a broader push to improve emergency preparedness in youth sports ahead of new California cardiac safety rules.

Why it matters: - Sudden cardiac arrest can strike young athletes without warning, and fast access to an AED can improve survival when bystanders respond immediately. - The donation adds lifesaving equipment and training support to a youth sports setting that may not otherwise have the resources to build a cardiac emergency response plan. - California youth sports organizations will face new cardiac safety requirements starting in 2027 and 2028, making preparedness a near-term issue for leagues across the state.

What happened: - Play With Heart Foundation donated an automated external defibrillator to San Diego American Little League. - The AED was presented during the league’s closing ceremony on May 23 in San Diego. - Approximately 90 young athletes and their families attended the event. - San Diego American Little League President Ruben Quintero accepted the donation. - Play With Heart Foundation also provided branded shirts and used the event to raise awareness about cardiac safety in youth athletics. - Response Ready partnered with the foundation on the donation and readiness support.

The details: - Play With Heart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on preventing sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes. - The foundation says it works with youth sports organizations, schools, families, and underserved communities that may lack access to AEDs, heart health screenings, or emergency response training. - Since launching in June 2022, Play With Heart Foundation has run social media awareness campaigns, supported free heart health screenings in San Diego, donated AEDs to youth sports groups and schools, and helped establish three high school clubs focused on heart health and emergency preparedness. - Through community partnerships, the foundation says it has helped provide free EKG screenings to more than 1,000 young athletes and teens, along with hands-on CPR and AED training. - Response Ready supported training, implementation, and emergency preparedness so the AED can be used effectively in an emergency. - Response Ready’s support includes AED selection and placement, cardiac emergency response plans, CPR and AED training and recertification, AED maintenance, and compliance support. - The collaboration gives San Diego American Little League both equipment and a support system for cardiac emergencies. - Play With Heart Foundation said it continues to expand AED donations, CPR and AED training, cardiovascular screening support, education, advocacy, and safety policy work across California. - The foundation was founded by Amy Huang and Ian Dickinson. - The foundation said its work is especially important in underserved communities where access to safety resources can be limited. - Play With Heart Foundation included a More information link for its organization page. - Response Ready listed program and equipment links including AED and CPR training programs, emergency readiness programs, medical oversight for AED programs, and AED equipment purchases.

Between the lines: - California’s Assembly Bill 310, also called the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act, is pushing youth sports organizations toward formal cardiac preparedness. - Starting Jan. 1, 2027, coaches must be certified in CPR and AED use, and organizations must have a written cardiac emergency response plan. - Starting Jan. 1, 2028, organizations must ensure AED access during official practices and games, and AEDs must be maintained and tested. - The rules create not just a compliance issue but an operations issue for leagues that need training, planning, and ongoing maintenance. - For smaller or underserved organizations, the cost and coordination burden could make partnerships with nonprofits and safety vendors essential. - The foundation and Response Ready framed the donation as part of a broader shift from awareness to readiness before emergencies happen. - The article cites research indicating survival improves when CPR and AED use happen within the first few minutes, and that survival can exceed 70% in some scenarios when an AED is used promptly.

What's next: - Play With Heart Foundation plans to keep working with youth sports programs and schools on AED donations, CPR and AED training, cardiovascular screenings, and safety advocacy. - Youth sports organizations, schools, and community leagues can work with Play With Heart Foundation and Response Ready to set up AED programs and preparedness support. - Many organizations are expected to start now to meet California’s upcoming cardiac safety deadlines. - The foundation says a structured approach that includes equipment placement, training, emergency planning, and maintenance is key to readiness when an emergency occurs.

The bottom line: - The donation is less about a single AED than about building a repeatable safety model for youth sports before new state requirements take effect.