Chairman leads CPR awareness and heart health campaign

Health

Sep 3

Written By Staff

Jim Teets

Photo courtesy of American Heart Association

The 2025 Grand Rapids Heart Walk will take place October 4 at Aquinas College, led by ADAC Automotive Chairman Jim Teets, who is serving as this year’s campaign chair. The event is part of a year-round effort by the American Heart Association (AHA) to raise funds and promote lifesaving CPR education throughout West Michigan.

Under Teets’ leadership, executives across the region will work together to recruit companies and organizations to participate in the Heart Walk initiative. The campaign supports the American Heart Association’s mission to fight cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in West Michigan, while also equipping individuals with the skills and confidence to respond to cardiac emergencies.

The AHA has emphasized CPR education as a key focus of this year’s Heart Walk campaign. According to the Association, nine out of 10 people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital do not survive. However, immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.

The Grand Rapids campaign is part of the AHA’s national Nation of Lifesavers™ initiative, which aims to double survival rates from cardiac arrest by 2030. Companies participating in the Heart Walk will have a critical role in this effort by promoting hands-only CPR training and supporting broader awareness and fundraising activities.

The Heart Walk is active in more than 220 cities nationwide and encourages corporate engagement in public health efforts. The American Heart Association expects more than 2,000 participants to take part in the event this year.

For more information, visit heart.org.

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