The American Heart Association reports that outside the hospital, 9 in 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest die and that more than half of those events receive no bystander help. Because immediate intervention is critical, the Association highlights that administering CPR promptly can double or triple a person’s chance of survival. To address these gaps in Goodyear, Kimberly Blaha, president and chief administrative officer of Abrazo Arizona Heart Hospital, will chair the 2026 West Valley Heart Walk and lead a year‑round effort to rally companies and community members to raise funds and expand CPR education.
The release underscores the time-sensitive nature of cardiac arrest outcomes and frames community preparedness as decisive for survival. The Heart Walk campaign in the West Valley will focus on making CPR education more available locally and on recruiting organizations to help create a community of lifesavers. The initiative is presented as a direct response to the high mortality rate from out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest and the observed shortfall in bystander intervention.
Under the leadership of Kimberly Blaha, top executives across the West Valley will be asked to recruit other employers and organizations to join the Heart Walk campaign. Blaha said the Heart Walk unites people around saving lives and expressed enthusiasm for engaging local businesses, healthcare providers and community members to grow awareness of heart health and the importance of CPR training. The strategy couples fundraising with corporate engagement to broaden training opportunities and community reach.
Citing the Heart Association’s 2024 CPR Perceptions Survey, the release notes that 39% of U.S. adults — approximately 103 million people — now report they are “extremely confident” or “very confident” they could correctly perform CPR. This represents an increase from 33% in 2021 and an estimated rise of about 17.7 million adults who report higher confidence. Despite the improvement, the statement emphasizes that 61% of adults still lack high confidence to act during a cardiac emergency, underlining the continued need for training and awareness efforts.
The American Heart Association is identified as a global leader in resuscitation science, education and training, and as the official publisher of CPR guidelines. Through its Nation of Lifesavers™ movement, the Association is working to ensure more people are prepared to perform CPR and serve as links in the chain of survival. The movement supports an organizational goal to double the survival rate from out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrests by 2030.
The West Valley Heart Walk will take place Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at Goodyear Civic Square. The event is expected to attract an estimated 8,000 participants who will walk in celebration of local survivors and to highlight lifesaving progress in the community. The Walk combines a public-facing demonstration of support with hands‑on community education components in previous years, including on‑site Hands‑Only CPR training.
Locally, the 2026 West Valley Heart Walk is presented by Abrazo Health. Sun Health is identified as the Live Fierce Take Action sponsor. The release invites organizations and community members to participate in fundraising and training activities and directs readers seeking event information to the local Heart Walk website: www.westvalleyheartwalk.org. The campaign’s outreach aims to recruit employers to help ensure employees are prepared to act in cardiac emergencies.
The American Heart Association is described as a relentless force for longer, healthier lives and a longstanding source of health information. The organization funds research, advocates for public health, and provides resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It cites commitments to equitable health across communities and notes broad volunteer support. The Association also develops and publishes resuscitation science, guidelines and training materials.
For media inquiries the release lists Satara Tinkler and provides an email: satara.tinkler@heart.org. For public inquiries the phone number given is 1‑800‑AHA‑USA1 (1‑800‑242‑8721). The release references the American Heart Association web resources heart.org and stroke.org for additional information.