JUNE 2026 — In recognition of CPR and AED Awareness Week, the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) partnered to donate CPR training kits to select schools across Arkansas.
After donating a CPR training kit to the Earle School District in 2025, AFMC selected Southwest Middle School in Searcy as this year’s recipient. The kit will provide students with hands-on training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), equipping them with the skills and confidence to respond quickly when someone experiences a cardiac arrest.
Each year, more than 350,000 individuals in the U.S. experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital setting. Only 10% of people survive these events. Immediate CPR can double or even triple a person’s chance of survival.
Arkansas is one of only six states that require CPR training for high school graduation in an effort to teach students life-saving skills. By implementing similar initiatives in schools nationwide, AHA hopes to double the survival rate of cardiac emergencies by 2030. The AHA has partnered with AFMC to advance this goal in Arkansas and support AFMC’s mission to promote healthy people, healthy businesses, and healthy communities.
