2023 Round 1 When Seconds Count AED Celebration

On Tuesday, June 6, 2023, Health Foundation of La Porte (HFL) held its 2023 Round 1 AED Celebration at the HFL Conference & Learning Center. Each year, HFL provides grants for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) as part of its When Seconds Count: AED Initiative. The initiative helps ensure the La Porte County community has access to life-saving devices. When Seconds Count: AED Initiative works closely with La Porte County EMS to educate the community on the importance of routine AED maintenance, AED registration, and CPR training.

This year, through HFL’s When Seconds Count: AED Initiative, HFL awarded 48 AEDs, 37 cabinets, and signage to 23 grantees in this first round of awards. The amount awarded totaled $102,164.

Hosted by HFL, the AED Celebration welcomed the 2023 Round 1 AED grantees to the HFL Conference & Learning Center to receive their AEDs, watch a live demonstration of AED usage and readiness checks, hear from Andrew McGuire, administrator of La Porte County EMS, and connect with other AED grantees. Guests also heard from HFL Board Member Dr. Gary Wheeland on the importance of AEDs and from La Porte Fire Chief Andy Snyder on CPR / AED classes the City of La Porte Fire Department offers free of charge to the community, thanks in part to grants from HFL.

HFL also welcomed Camie White, Duneland Health Council’s Director, to the celebration. Duneland Health Council partnered with HFL in 2023 by funding and awarding 7 AEDs to Michigan City Area Schools at the event.

The 2023 Round 1 AED celebration was hosted on June 6 to coincide with National CPR and AED Awareness Week, June 1-7, which spotlights how lives can be saved if more Americans know CPR and how to use an AED. Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the United States.

Learn more about the AED Collective.

Since 2017, HFL has awarded 185 AEDs to the community. The total amount awarded to date in AEDs and CPR-related grants is $435,398.

2023 Round 1 AED Recipients

American Legion Post 83
Anam Cara Stables
Beats for Bub, Colton Davis Foundation
Citizens Concerned for the Homeless
Dunes Arts Foundation
First Lutheran Church
Foundation Property Management
Friendship Botanic Gardens
Independent Cat Society
Kankakee Township Volunteer Fire Department
La Lumiere School
La Porte Community School Corporation
La Porte County Historical Society Museum
Michigan City Area Schools
Michigan City Pop Warner Football and Cheer
MSD of New Durham Township
New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Paladin
Service League of Michigan City
Solid Waste District of La Porte County
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Town of Long Beach
Tri-Township Consolidated School Corporation

Two women stand indoors holding a certificate from the La Porte Foundation, with three boxes stacked on the floor in front of them. A large framed photo of a brick building hangs on the wall behind them.

Two women stand indoors; one holds a large box with a red ribbon, while the other displays an AED sign and a certificate from Rolling Prairie Health and Westville Grants.

Several stacked boxes labeled "LIFEPAK CR2" are tied with a blue ribbon and bow. A sign on top highlights the donation of AED devices to Michigan City Area Schools through Michigan City Grantmaking.

Two men in matching navy shirts stand side by side; one holds a defibrillator box, the other holds a certificate and smiles at the camera, highlighting support from Rolling Prairie Health.

Two women stand indoors, one holding a boxed gift wrapped with a large red bow. They are both smiling and wearing casual attire, celebrating the support of La Porte Foundation in local Michigan City grantmaking efforts.

A woman stands smiling and holding a stack of three boxed LIFEPAK AED devices in front of a sign with a heart and lightning bolt labeled "AED," celebrating support from Rolling Prairie Health.

Attendees sit in rows of chairs facing a screen in a modern conference room, with refreshments and balloons visible—an event highlighting Kingsford Heights Philanthropy and supported by the La Porte Foundation.

A group of people seated in a conference room listen to a presenter speaking at a podium, with a screen displaying a safety presentation supported by the La Porte Foundation.

HFL accepts grant requests for the When Seconds Count: AED Initiative once per year, starting on February 14. To be eligible, applicants must be a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, a school, or a governmental entity. Requests for AED grants are only accepted through HFL’s grant portal.

HFL’s mission is empowering La Porte County residents to live healthy and well. Since 2017, HFL has invested more than $38 million in the La Porte County community.