Big Island Toyota to Donate Defibrillators to Nonprofits

Hilo Medical Center. File photo.

Hilo Medical Center Foundation’s Be a Lifesaver Hawai‘i Program announced a partnership with Big Island Toyota Hilo and Kona on Sept. 19, 2016.

As part of the Be a Lifesaver Hawai‘i campaign effort, 20 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) will be donated to Hawai‘i Island nonprofit organizations by Big Island Toyota.

Each recipient organization will receive free lifesaving bystander chest-compression-only CPR and AED training at the nonprofit’s facility as part of the AED donation.

The winning nonprofit organizations will be notified of their selection by the Be a Lifesaver Hawai‘i committee no later than Oct. 20, 2016, and will be invited to attend a Special AED Presentation at the Big Island Toyota Main Showroom in Hilo on Oct. 27, 2016.

The application and nomination submission deadline is Oct. 15, 2016, at the close of business.

Mail or deliver in person applications to:

Big Island Toyota
811 Kanoelehua Avenue
Hilo, Hawaii  96720
Attn:  Calvin Koga – Giving Committee Chairperson

The Be a Lifesaver Hawai‘i program was created through teamwork by Hilo Medical Center Foundation, Hawai‘i County and Hawai‘i County Fire.

The program aims to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and trains the local community in hands-on bystander chest-compression-only CPR in an effort to increase survival rates across Hawai‘i Island.

The Hilo Medical Foundation has not only been reaching out and training businesses, nonprofit organizations and community organizations, such as YMCA and Hope Services, but also has been giving mass demonstrations of chest-compression-only CPR.

In April, demonstrations took place at UH Hilo and center court of the Harlem Globetrotters game as part of the effort to inform the community and the general public about the program, and the free quarterly training offered at Hilo Medical Center.

The Be a Lifesaver Hawai’i program donated 33 AEDs to Hawai‘i County Police Department as part of their ongoing lifesaving effort.

In an effort to determine areas of need, the foundation will map AED locations islandwide.