UP sports organizations, schools receive AEDs thanks to Green Bay Packers

UPPER MICHIGAN, Mich. (WLUC) - U.P. sports organizations and schools have another tool to ensure safety thanks to the Green Bay Packers.

80 upper Michigan and Wisconsin entities will receive automated external defibrillators (AEDs) from the Green Bay Packers. An AED is a portable device used in cardiac arrest emergencies.

Of those 80 organizations chosen, five are in Marquette County. Northern Michigan University Campus and Recreation Fitness Manager Katie Moe partnered with the Packers and Bellin Health to identify the need in the county.

“We worked together to collaborate and compile a list of 30 organizations within Marquette County that had an identified need for having AED or certifications available to their organizations or nonprofits,” Moe said.

Moe said the cardiac emergency Buffalo Bills Safety Demar Hamlin suffered in January highlighted the need for AEDs in public spaces.

“Marquette County, being the largest county in Michigan, has so many recreational activities occurring from the youth level all the way to professional levels and these types of accidents don’t just happen in professional athletes,” Moe said. “They happen across the board.”

Among those selected in Marquette County was the Marquette Mountain Ski Patrol. Medical Director Jim Grundstrom says it’s an important tool in a recreation-rich area.

“People just love to come here and recreate in all four seasons and sometimes in their hour of need, these [types of] equipment are very important,” Grundstrom. “It is just cool to be a part of something in a giving situation to a community like Marquette.”

Schools across the U.P. also benefited from the donations, including Rapid River. The principal Rachal Gustafson says it’s critical for more than the student body.

“A school building is the center of a community. I hope that our Rapid River Community can recognize how important that is and they’re in a safe place when they’re in our building,” Gustafson said.

Gustafson encourages other schools to get these tools and training.

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