Lake Chelan Community Center receives AED donation from DP Foundation

CHELAN - Lake Chelan Community Center board members, along with Maribel Cruz, executive director, accepted a donation of an AED and a SafeStation for the device from Adam Lang, Founder & President - DP Foundation on Friday, April 25 at the community center. Five to seven people at the Community Center will be trained on how to use the AED. Over the weekend, Lang presented an AED to Brad Wilson, superintendent of the Lake Chelan School District. The AED will be located at Mountain Goat Field.

DP Foundation worked with Ray Eickmeyer, director of Lake Chelan Health Emergency Services, to determine where it made the most sense to place the AEDs. The foundation has donated 40 AEDs, with the two in Chelan being the first ones this side of the mountains.

“We are deeply grateful to Adam Lang and the DP Foundation, as well as Marti Wick and the Nick of Time Foundation, for this life-saving donation. The addition of an AED at the Community Center is more than a piece of equipment—it’s a vital investment in community safety and a testament to what’s possible when local organizations unite with purpose. With training support from Lake Chelan Health and the leadership of Ray Eickmeyer, we’re equipping our staff and community members to respond confidently in an emergency,” said Maribel Cruz, Executive Director, Lake Chelan Community Center

In an email to the Lake Chelan Mirror, Lang said why he started the DP Foundation.

‘’I started the DP Foundation after losing my best friend, Daniel Phelps, to sudden cardiac arrest in December 2015. He was just 27. Daniel and I played soccer together at the University of Washington and made some of our best memories vacationing with friends in Chelan.

That’s why it means so much to give back to Chelan. We’re proud to partner with the new Community Center and the Chelan School District to donate AEDs for both the Community Center and Mountain Goat Field — so life-saving help is always close by.

The national survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest remains low—around 10%—but with prompt CPR and AED use, survival rates can more than triple.

The DP Foundation exists to honor Daniel by saving and supporting young lives. We save lives by making AEDs more accessible, and we support lives by partnering with local soccer clubs to make the game more affordable for families.’’

DP Foundation is one of a few groups that launched Project 100 last year, which is focused on equipping 100% of sports fields in Washington State with AEDs. 

To learn more about the foundation or to donate, go to: danielphelpsfoundation.org

SCA Facts: Over 350,000 American suffer SCA a year. 1 in 300 youth has an undetected heart condition that puts them at risk. Up to 80% of SCA victims survive with prompt   CPA and AED  use. The survival rate of SCA decreases by 10% for each minute that that passes. SCA is the #1 cause of death on school campuses. About 90%  of people who experience and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die. (from DP Foundation Website)