Hillel Winnipeg students Daniel Kroft and Maya Pollock pose with University of Winnipeg Foundation President and CEO Brian Daly at the “Mikey” AED ribbon cutting
UW RELEASE – 2014/054
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Wednesday, April 2 2014
WINNIPEG, MB – Hillel Winnipeg, the Jewish Students’ Association on The University of Winnipeg campus, presented two “Mikey” defibrillators to The University of Winnipeg today at The Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex. A ceremony was held to honour the generous gift, followed by an AED (automated external defibrillator) demonstration.
“When I first heard of their plans to donate the AEDs, I was very excited,” says Ethelinda Padua, Safety and Health Specialist of the University of Winnipeg. “The accessibility and availability of these life saving devices benefits not only The University of Winnipeg campus, but also the surrounding community. Research indicates when an AED and CPR are immediately available the chance of survival from sudden cardiac arrest is substantially improved, it may increase by 75% or more.”
The Mikey Network was established in memory of Mike Salem, who died of a heart attack 12 years ago without access to a defibrillator. The Network promotes heart-healthy living while pushing to increase public access to defibrillators (“Mikeys”). The students of Hillel are making this donation to fulfill part of their mission—to contribute positively to campus life.
Padua notes that thanks to generous donors, UWinnipeg has acquired a number of other AEDs, and expects to have the devices in every building within a few years. “A sincere thank you goes to Hillel Winnipeg for being a part of the important process to help us reach our goal,” Padua says.
Hillel Winnipeg has actively promoted heart health before, sponsoring an event to raise money and awareness for Israeli-based charity Save a Child’s Heart, which provides cardiac surgery at no cost for children in under-privileged areas.
“Community work and volunteerism is in line with the Jewish value of tzedakah, the Hebrew term for charity,” says Josh Winestock, Director of Hillel Winnipeg. “It’s nice to use our time in University to do more than just learn in class, to transform a community we can be a part of.”
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The University of Winnipeg is noted for academic excellence, small class sizes, environmental commitment, campus diversity, Indigenous scholarship, and support of cultural arts. UWinnipeg is strongly committed to promoting access and inclusion, and is ranked 4th in Canada for reputation by Maclean’s (2013). Find out more at uwinnipeg.ca. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
For more information:
Josh Winestock
204.480.6561
jwinestock@jewishwinnipeg.org
Cindy Doyle
204.988.7509
c.doyle@uwinnipeg.ca
