NFL and American Heart Association launch CPR awareness campaign

The American Heart Association and the National Football League have launched the 2026 Nation of Lifesavers Player Ambassador Class to promote Hands-Only CPR. The initiative features 33 current NFL players, including Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Jordan Whittington, who will use social media and public service announcements to encourage fans to learn chest compression-only CPR.

To support this campaign, free Hands-Only CPR education was offered to fans during the pregame festivities of the Buffalo Bills versus Los Angeles Rams matchup at SoFi Stadium. The program aims to address the fact that more than half of people experiencing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest do not receive immediate CPR.

On a local level, Neighborhood Connections in Londonderry is hosting a free one-hour Hands-Only CPR training session on November 6. The community event is designed to teach simple, effective life-saving techniques that can be performed without formal training.