The Play for Patrick heart screening is coming to Northfield this upcoming Saturday, April 20th at the Northfield Middle School from 9-5.
The Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation was created to honor & remember Patrick Schoonover who passed away at the age of 14, due to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), caused by undetected heart defects. The goal of the foundation is to bring SCA awareness, education, prevention and eliminate SCA in kids.
SCA is the leading cause of death among student athletes. The Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation offers Free Heart screens for ALL kids 14-24 throughout the Minneapolis-St. Paul area regardless of race, gender, income, or demographics.
Evan Loe talks about the Northfield Play for Patrick Screening on the KYMN Morning Show with Jeff Johnson
Play For Patrick Youth Heart Screens
The screens include checking of; Height/Weight, Blood Pressure, EKG (electrical current of the heart), Echocardiogram (video of the structure of the heart) Physician consultation and hands only CPR & AED training.
The foundation relies on volunteers to help with each event. Up to 100 medical & non-medical volunteers are needed to make the screens happen. The donations received will help the foundation pay for the medical & non-medical supplies and equipment, lunch, refreshments, and tee shirts for volunteers. And AEDs that are given to the host High School or club.
The foundation does not have paid staff, so all donations are used for screening young hearts. From August 2015 to October 2023, the Patrick Schoonover Heart Foundation conducted 31 Play for Patrick youth heart screens. Screened 5,376 kids, found 341 with elevated blood pressure (w/repeated check), 313 with abnormal electrical or structural heart defects, taught 4,295 kids & adults CPR & AED awareness and donated 18 AEDs to area Schools.
