Hawai'i Heart Walk returns to Kapi'olani Park Aug. 15 to build a community of lifesavers

# Hawai‘i Heart Walk returns to Kapi‘olani Park Aug.

15 to build a community of lifesavers

The American Heart Association is inviting Hawai‘i residents to a community-centered event aimed at strengthening local capacity to respond to cardiac emergencies.

The Hawai‘i Heart Walk will take place at Kapi‘olani Park on Saturday, August 15, 2026, beginning at 6 a.m.

The gathering blends commemoration, public education and fundraising to support heart and stroke initiatives across the islands.

The Hawai‘i Heart Walk is an annual community event hosted by the American Heart Association that combines fundraising, survivor recognition and public training in Hands-Only CPR.

The 2026 walk is set for Aug.

15 at Kapi‘olani Park and seeks to expand local capacity to provide bystander lifesaving care.

The Heart Walk is described by the American Heart Association as its largest community-facing initiative, intended to promote longer, healthier lives through education, research funding and corporate engagement.

In Hawai‘i, the annual walk aims to both honor people affected by cardiovascular disease and to reduce preventable deaths by increasing access to CPR training.

The release frames the event in the context of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the United States: more than 350,000 such events occur each year, with survival rates described as low—nearly 90% do not survive.

The statement notes that immediate bystander CPR can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival, while fewer than half of people experiencing cardiac arrest outside a hospital receive bystander CPR.

A personal survivor account accompanies the announcement.

Terrianne Butac Zonca, who suffered a cardiac arrest at her grandfather’s funeral three years earlier, credited family members with initiating CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED) at the mortuary being used to restore cardiac rhythm before emergency medical services arrived.

Her experience is cited as a motivating example for community training efforts.

This news release is an event announcement and does not present novel clinical trial data.

The objective is to increase the proportion of cardiac arrest victims who receive bystander CPR.

• Incidence and survival context: The release provides national annual incidence figures for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and a broad survival statistic; these are reported as context for the urgency of community preparedness.
• Effect of immediate CPR: The release references the established concept that prompt bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation increases survival likelihood—quantified here as doubling or tripling the chance of survival—but does not supply source citations or specific study details within the text.
• Community training approach: The Association’s programmatic strategy is described as teaching Hands-Only CPR to employees and community members, both during the year and at the Heart Walk event.
• Event features as educational platforms: The Heart Walk includes on-site opportunities for learning Hands-Only CPR, alongside family-friendly and survivor-focused activities that aim to engage diverse segments of the community and create entry points for education.

15, 2026, at Kapi‘olani Park with a 6 a.m.

start.

Registration and further information are directed to HIHeartWalk.org.

Additional local sponsors listed are Young Brothers, Kaiser Permanente and Kalaeloa Partners.

• Event logistics: Hawai‘i Heart Walk is scheduled for Aug.
• Programmatic goals: Proceeds and participation are intended to support broader AHA efforts—making CPR education more accessible, funding research, and promoting equitable health.
• Community engagement tools: The walk will include a Kids Corner for youth activities, Survivor Central to honor those affected by heart disease and stroke, a dedicated remembrance area for those lost to cardiovascular disease, a selfie station, and Hands-Only CPR instruction.
• Leadership and sponsorship: The Hawai‘i Heart Walk chair for the year is Francoise Culley-Trotman, CEO of AlohaCare, identified as a sponsor.
• Survivor narrative: The account from Terrianne Butac Zonca provides an illustrative case of a bystander response that included family-led CPR and AED use in a mortuary setting prior to EMS arrival; she is quoted expressing gratitude and support for expanded CPR training across the islands.

The announcement frames the Heart Walk as a vehicle to improve community readiness to respond to cardiac arrest.

• Public training opportunities: By incorporating Hands-Only CPR instruction into a broadly attended public event, the Association aims to lower barriers to basic lifesaving skills among community members.
• Community activation: The combination of survivor recognition, family activities and training is intended to engage a wide audience—families, survivors, corporate sponsors, and volunteers—in an integrated outreach and fundraising effort.
• Resource mobilization: Funds raised at the walk are intended to support AHA priorities, including research funding and programs designed to reduce disparities in access to lifesaving education and care.
• Messaging strategy: Use of a local survivor’s story and specific, actionable training offerings at the event serve to connect epidemiologic urgency with a practical response pathway—encouraging attendance, registration, and skill acquisition.

15, 2026, at Kapi‘olani Park, starting at 6 a.m.; registration information is available at HIHeartWalk.org.

• The Hawai‘i Heart Walk will be held Aug.
• The event combines commemoration, family-oriented activities and Hands-Only CPR instruction to foster a local “community of lifesavers.”
• The release cites national data: over 350,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually in the U.S., with nearly 90% mortality; immediate CPR can substantially increase survival odds, yet fewer than half of victims receive bystander CPR.
• Local leadership and sponsors include chair Francoise Culley-Trotman (AlohaCare) and partners Young Brothers, Kaiser Permanente and Kalaeloa Partners.
• A survivor narrative (Terrianne Butac Zonca) is used to illustrate the potential impact of prompt bystander CPR and AED access.

Q: When and where is the Hawai‘i Heart Walk?

A: The Hawai‘i Heart Walk is scheduled for Saturday, Aug.

15, 2026, at Kapi‘olani Park, with activities beginning at 6 a.m.

Q: What educational activities are available at the Heart Walk?

A: The event will offer Hands-Only CPR instruction along with family-focused features such as a Kids Corner, Survivor Central, a remembrance area, and a selfie station.

Q: Who is organizing and sponsoring the Hawai‘i Heart Walk?

A: The American Heart Association is organizing the event.

Local sponsors named in the announcement include AlohaCare (event chair Francoise Culley-Trotman), Young Brothers, Kaiser Permanente and Kalaeloa Partners.

Q: How can I register or learn more?

A: The release directs interested participants to HIHeartWalk.org for registration, donations and further event information.

The Hawai‘i Heart Walk is presented as a community mobilization platform that pairs memorial and celebratory elements with hands-on public education.

The AHA frames the walk as a response to a pressing public health problem—high numbers of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests and low rates of bystander CPR—by providing accessible training and raising funds to support education and research.

The 2026 event emphasizes local engagement through survivor stories, family activities and on-site CPR instruction, while inviting residents to register and support broader Association initiatives.

Contact information for media and public inquiries is provided by the AHA.