> Press Release

Let the Beat Go On ... 2008-09 Season Includes Colleges and Universities

Through his foundation, Hoops For Heart Health, Ryan Gomes surveyed Division I programs to find out if the schools had AED’s at all of their men’s and women’s games and practices during the 2008-09 regular season. As a result, Gomes has donated 11 AED’s as part of his program.

On Feb. 3, Gomes donated defibrillators to two Division I schools at the conclusion of the Indiana Pacers-Minnesota Timberwolves game as part of his nationwide “Let the Beat Go On….” Tour of NBA cities. Gomes donated Cardiac Science AED’s to both Butler University and to Indiana State University. The following is a list of those 11 schools that have received Cardiac Science AEDs from Hoops For Heart Health:

The 11 schools represent different conferences and many different states.

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, Hoops For Heart Health donated two more Cardiac Science AED’s to The Hope Settlement House at Providence College, Gomes’ alma mater, during the first half of the game against Villanova University. Last season, Gomes and Cardiac Science started donating AEDs in NBA cities as Gomes traveled around the country during the NBA regular season. At the conclusion of this season, Gomes will have donated AEDs to community centers, recreation centers, schools and other needy athletics venues in all 30 NBA Cities. “

Ryan has done a lot of work to spread the word about the need of having more access to these life-saving devices. That way people could find out how affordable these portable defibrillators have become,” said Troy Pflugner, Indiana Territory Sales Manager from Cardiac Science, the tour’s sponsor. “With Ryan’s willingness to spread the word, his efforts have reached a tremendous amount of people that wouldn’t even know what a defibrillator is.”

Let the Beat Go On…
2008-09 AED Awareness Tour
Detroit Pistons, November 23, 2008
Oklahoma City Thunder, November 28, 2008
Charlotte Bobcats, December 1, 2008
New Jersey Nets, December 5, 2008
Denver Nuggets, December 10, 2008
Sacramento Kings, December 15, 2008
Phoenix Suns, January 16, 2009
Los Angeles Clippers, January 19, 2009
Milwaukee Bucks, January 26, 2009
Boston Celtics, February 1, 2009
Indiana Pacers, February 3, 2009
Miami Heat, February 18, 2009
Toronto Raptors, February 24, 2009
San Antonio Spurs, March 9, 2009
Houston Rockets, March 20, 2009
Utah Jazz, April 3, 2009
Golden State Warriors, April 8, 2009

2007-08 AED Awareness Tour
New York Knicks, November 4, 2007
Los Angeles Lakers, November 9, 2007
Dallas Mavericks, November 29, 2007
Atlanta Hawks, December 6, 2007
Washington Wizards, December 11, 2007
Philadelphia 76ers, December 12, 2007
New Orleans Hornets , December 22, 2007
Minnesota Timberwolves, January 16, 2008
Chicago Bulls, January 29, 2008
Minnesota Timberwolves, January 30, 2008
Cleveland Cavaliers, February 29, 2008
Portland Trailblazers, March 15, 2008
Orlando Magic, April 11, 2008
Memphis Grizzlies, April 12, 2008

About Hoops for Heart Health Hoops for Heart Health is a not-for-profit organization that was started to address the problem of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in high school, college and professional sports. With the help of college basketball coaches and cardiologists throughout the country, the mission is to first educate student-athletes about Sudden Cardiac Arrest, and then to support testing and the placement of medical devices, such as Portable Defibrillators, in gymnasiums and athletic fields around the country. Eventually the goal is to also provide support for families, teammates, classmates and coaches after an athlete has died from Sudden Cardiac Arrest.