by Annette Pinder 

Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety and cardiac arrest survivor, recently announced that second-grader Finley received two tickets to Super Bowl LXI, taking place on Feb. 14, 2027, in California. His prize is part of a collaboration between the American Heart Association (the Heart Association) and the National Football League (NFL) Foundation to encourage young people to learn Hands-Only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Finley participated in the Heart Association’s in-school programs, Kids Heart Challenge™ and American Heart Challenge™, during the 2025-26 school year, learned Hands-Only CPR, and was eligible for the NFL incentive prize drawing. Students who participate in the program watch a Hands-Only CPR demonstration video, enabling them to respond in a cardiac emergency.

More than 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States each year, and 70% of those occur at home. According to the Heart Association, 9 out of every 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, often because they do not receive immediate CPR. When CPR is performed immediately, it can double or triple a person’s chance of survival, and children as young as age four can improve survival rates by calling 911. If a teen or adult collapses, witnesses should call emergency services immediately and begin chest compressions at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute and a depth of about two inches. 

The Heart Association is the global leader in resuscitation science, education, and training, and it publishes the official CPR guidelines. The NFL and the Heart Association’s collaboration aims to double survival rates for cardiac emergencies by 2030 through CPR education. HeartBEAT, launched in 2023, is a 5-year, $1 million commitment by the Buffalo Bills to educate thousands of Western New Yorkers in Hands-Only CPR, adding more people to the Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers™ movement.

An NFL video featuring Hamlin, before the Kids Heart Challenge Hands-Only CPR online learning module, highlights the importance of kids learning CPR and understanding how it saved his life. The NFL Foundation is committed to supporting CPR education for the 2026-27 school year. Entries are now open for children who want to complete the Finn’s Mission Hands-Only CPR module. Parents and school administrators who want to learn how students can participate should visit www.heart.org/jointhechallenge. 

Grounded in the value of physical activity and rooted in proven science, the Kids Heart Challenge has expanded beyond the gym to meet the needs of today’s youth and educators, reflecting the strong link between physical and mental health. The program offers activities that get elementary students’ hearts pumping, such as dance, basketball, or jump rope, paired with digital missions, including learning Hands-Only CPR. The Heart Association has worked with schools nationwide for nearly 50 years to promote physical health and wellness. 

The Heart Association encourages everyone, everywhere, to join the Nation of Lifesavers initiative and make CPR awareness and education a permanent fixture in all communities nationwide. Take 90 seconds now to learn how to save a life at www.heart.org/nation.