Berea Elementary receives grant from the American Heart Association

The American Heart Association recently awarded Berea Elementary School a grant to strengthen the school’s cardiac emergency preparedness. 

Berea Elementary School is one of three South Carolina schools selected to receive the CPR in Schools grant through the association’s school-based program, Kids Heart Challenge. The grant provides reusable training kits to teach students, staff and families the basics of CPR, how to use an automated external defibrillator and basic first aid skills. 

Julie Smart, volunteer board chair for the American Heart Association, said cardiac emergencies can happen without warning in the classroom and on athletic fields. According to the American Heart Association, more than 23,000 children across the country experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year. 

“This gift will help our students build the knowledge and confidence to respond in an emergency and potentially save a life. It also allows us to extend lifesaving education beyond the classroom and into the homes of our Berea families,” said Lauren Popores, Kids Heart Challenge coordinator and physical education teacher at Berea Elementary School.