On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, Healthcare Foundation of La Porte (HFL) held its 2023 Round 1 AED Celebration at the HFL Conference & Learning Center. Each year, HFL provides grants for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as part of its When Seconds Count: AED Initiative. The initiative helps ensure the La Porte County community has access to life-saving devices. When Seconds Count: AED Initiative works closely with La Porte County EMS to educate the community on the importance of routine AED maintenance, AED registration, and CPR training.
This year, through HFL’s When Seconds Count: AED Initiative, HFL awarded 48 AEDs, 37 cabinets, and signage to 23 grantees in this first round of awards. The amount awarded totaled $102,164.
Hosted by HFL, the AED Celebration welcomed the 2023 Round 1 AED grantees to the HFL Conference & Learning Center to receive their AEDs, watch a live demonstration of AED usage and readiness checks, hear from Andrew McGuire, administrator of La Porte County EMS, and connect with other AED grantees. Guests also heard from HFL Board Member Dr. Gary Wheeland on the importance of AEDs and from La Porte Fire Chief Andy Snyder on CPR / AED classes the City of La Porte Fire Department offers free of charge to the community, thanks in part to grants from HFL.
HFL also welcomed Camie White, Duneland Health Council’s Director, to the celebration. Duneland Health Council partnered with HFL in 2023 by funding and awarding 7 AEDs to Michigan City Area Schools at the event.
The 2023 Round 1 AED celebration was hosted on June 6 to coincide with National CPR and AED Awareness Week, June 1-7, which spotlights how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED. Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States.
Learn more about the AED Collective and HFL’s When Seconds Count: AED Initiative.
Since 2017, HFL has awarded 185 AEDs to the community. The total amount awarded to date in AEDs and CPR-related grants is $435,398.
2023 Round 1 AED Recipients
- American Legion Post 83
- Anam Cara Stables
- Beats for Bub, Colton Davis Foundation
- Citizens Concerned for the Homeless
- Dunes Arts Foundation
- First Lutheran Church
- Foundation Property Management
- Friendship Botanic Gardens
- Independent Cat Society
- Kankakee Township Volunteer Fire Department
- La Lumiere School
- La Porte Community School Corporation
- La Porte County Historical Society Museum
- Michigan City Area Schools
- Michigan City Pop Warner Football and Cheer
- MSD of New Durham Township
- New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
- Paladin
- Service League of Michigan City
- Solid Waste District of La Porte County
- St. Paul's Episcopal Church
- Town of Long Beach
- Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation
HFL accepts grant requests for the When Seconds Count: AED Initiative once per year, starting on February 14. To be eligible, applicants must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, a school, or a governmental entity. Requests for AED grants are only accepted through HFL's grant portal.
HFL’s mission is empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and well. Since 2017, HFL has invested more than $38 million in the La Porte County community.