American Heart Association donates CPR training kits to YMCA of Sumter to help build a nation of lifesavers
September 16, 2025
Empowering the Sumter community one lifesaver at a time
The American Heart Association, a global force for healthier lives for all, has donated Hands-Only CPR training kits to the YMCA of Sumter, empowering more community members with the skills to respond in a cardiac emergency.
With more than 8,000 members, the YMCA of Sumter conducts monthly internal CPR trainings for its staff. Now, it is expanding this lifesaving education to include children in its afterschool programs, empowering the next generation of lifesavers.
This donation is part of the American Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers initiative, a multi-year effort to ensure more people are trained in CPR, confident to act in an emergency, and ready to help save lives. The initiative is supported by generous donations from local philanthropists through the Sumter Clarendon Heart Walk, which returns Friday, November 1, 2025.
“When cardiac arrest happens outside of a hospital, the person’s best chance at survival is the person standing right next to them,” said Christina Darby, development director with the American Heart Association. “By equipping organizations like the YMCA of Sumter with CPR training kits, we’re helping bring lifesaving skills directly into the heart of the community. One trained person can make a difference for an entire family, school, or neighborhood.”
More than 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital each year in the U.S., including 23,000 children. Hands-Only CPR, especially when performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. It is a skill that kids as young as 9 years old can learn.
This work is especially important in communities where disparities in health outcomes persist. Lower-income rural communities often experience lower survival rates from cardiac arrest. Targeted CPR training in these communities helps close that gap and increase survival rates for everyone.
“This donation allows us to expand our reach and empower more people in our community to save lives,” said YMCA of Sumter marketing and mission advancement executive, Emily Sorrell. “We’re proud to partner with the American Heart Association in creating a healthier, safer Sumter.”
