Cowboy Basketball taking charity mission to heart

Cowboy Basketball taking charity mission to heart
New men's basketball coach Steve Lutz views Oklahoma State's charity exhibition game against SMU as more than just a preseason tune-up. It's an opportunity to help save lives.

When the teams meet on Saturday, Oct. 26 game at Gallagher-Iba Arena they'll be raising money for the American Heart Association, via the Eddie Sutton Foundation, while promoting heart health awareness and CPR training. Tipoff is 11 a.m. and doors open at 10 (east side only). Admission and parking are free, with donations encouraged.

In honor of global Restart a Heart Day, the OSU basketball team will take part in a hands-only CPR training session on Wednesday, Oct. 16, led by AHA volunteers and staff.

"Our team is honored to participate in this important training," Lutz said. "Learning hands-only CPR is a skill that extends beyond the court and into our everyday lives. We are proud to support the American Heart Association's mission to save lives."

As many as 23,000 youth under the age of 18 suffer sudden cardiac arrest annually in the United States with 40% of these incidents occurring during athletic activities. Hands-only CPR can double or even triple a cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival. The steps are simple: call 911, and then push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives.

Current OSU manager DeShawn Caldwell is one such success story. Eight years ago, he was spared by the quick actions of his high school coaches after collapsing during a practice session. Today Caldwell is a passionate advocate for CPR training and heart health awareness.

Caldwell was among American Heart Association advocates who successfully pushed for a state law requiring all public schools and school athletic facilities to adopt cardiac emergency response plans, also known as CERPs. Last year marked the launch of the Smart Heart Sports Coalition, a collaboration between the American Heart Association, NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, NHL, NCAA and others to stress the importance of CPR education and AED placement in schools for athletes throughout the United States.