Heart & Soul dinner honors first-responders
ANDOVER TWP. The event raised $68,000 for Newton Medical Center’s automated external defibrillator program.
| 04 Mar 2023 | 11:05
From left are Kevin Danielson with Cody, Heidi and Keith Cooper of Hampton. Cody was honored for performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on his mother, saving her life. (Photos provided by Louise Gonzalez of Newton Medical Center)
From left are Emily Parete of the Newton Medical Center Emergency Department; Julia Moran of Saint Clare’s Paramedics; Cody, Heidi and Keith Cooper; Megan Sandow, chief development officer of the Newton and Hackettstown medical denters; Brian Walsh, a Sussex County 911 dispatcher; and Abigail Casario, Andrew Dietz, Kizzy Esquivel and William Frannicola, all of Hampton Fire & Rescue.
Local first-responders were honored at the ninth annual Heart & Soul fundraiser Feb. 15 at Perona Farms.
Members of local emergency squads were invited to the dinner, which raised $68,000 for Newton Medical Center’s automated external defibrillator (AED) program.
“As an outreach to the community, the Newton Medical Center Foundation’s AED program provides AEDs at a discounted price along with free training included for up to 12 individuals,” said Megan Sandow, chief development officer for the foundation. “These are offered to any qualified organization within Sussex County, northern Warren County and Pike County, Pa.”
Since the program’s inception in 2001, the foundation has distributed more than 800 AEDs and has trained more than 6,000 people how to operate the device.
“The total lives saved because of this program is 70,” Sandow said. “There were 180 people at this year’s event and we raised a great amount of money to perpetuate the program.”
Kevin Danielson presented the Scott Danielson Heart of Saving Lives Award this year. The award is named for his brother.
The recipient was Cody Cooper of Hampton, who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on his mother, Heidi, saving her life.
The Heart & Soul event has been held annually since 2014 in February, which is American Heart Month.
Since the program’s inception, the foundation has distributed more than 800 AEDs and has trained more than 6,000 people how to operate the device.
As an outreach to the community, the Newton Medical Center Foundation’s AED program provides AEDs at a discounted price along with free training included for up to 12 individuals.” -Megan Sandow, chief development officer for the foundation