The National Football League Foundation and American Heart Association have awarded five students with Super Bowl tickets and five schools with $10,000 equipment grants as part of a collaborative initiative to expand CPR education among youth. The incentives were offered to participants in the Association's Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge programs during the 2024-25 school year who completed Hands-Only CPR training. Students from Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas and Washington each received two tickets to Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in February 2026, while elementary schools in Arkansas, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, California and Minnesota received funding for physical activity equipment upgrades.
The program addresses a critical public health need, as more than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur annually in the United States, with 70% happening at home. According to American Heart Association data, 9 out of 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside hospitals die, often because they don't receive immediate CPR. Immediate CPR can double or triple survival chances. Research shows children as young as four can impact survival rates by calling 911, making early education particularly valuable. The Association publishes the official guidelines for CPR and aims to double cardiac emergency survival rates by 2030.
NFL Vice President of Philanthropy Alexia Gallagher stated the collaboration ensures young people gain the knowledge and confidence to act during cardiac emergencies, strengthening community safety. The program features an introductory video by Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, a cardiac arrest survivor who credits CPR with saving his life. Each elementary student completing the online Hands-Only CPR module earned Super Bowl ticket entries, while participating schools qualified for equipment grants. The NFL Foundation has renewed its commitment for the 2025-26 school year, offering five more Super Bowl LXI ticket packages and five additional $10,000 school grants.
The Kids Heart Challenge, operating for 48 years, now integrates physical activities like dance and basketball with digital missions including CPR training. The Association encourages broader participation through its Nation of Lifesavers initiative, promoting CPR awareness as a community fixture. This initiative represents a strategic approach to creating a generation equipped with life-saving skills, leveraging the cultural influence of professional sports to motivate participation in essential health education. By combining immediate incentives with long-term educational goals, the program creates sustainable pathways for improving community health outcomes nationwide.
