Play With Heart Foundation Partners with Response Ready for AED Donation to San Diego American Little League

Play With Heart Foundation Partners with Response Ready for AED donation to San Diego American Little League.

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, June 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Play With Heart Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes, has donated an automated external defibrillator (AED) to San Diego American Little League. The AED was presented during the league’s closing ceremony on May 23rd in front of players, families, and coaches, reinforcing the importance of emergency preparedness in youth sports.

The donation, made in partnership with Response Ready, reflects a shared commitment to making youth athletic environments safer by combining lifesaving equipment with training, education, and real-world readiness.

It also supports Play With Heart Foundation’s broader mission to place critical safety resources directly into the hands of youth sports organizations, schools, families, and underserved communities that may not otherwise have access to AEDs, heart health screenings, or emergency response training.

Since its founding in June 2022, Play With Heart Foundation has launched multiple social media awareness campaigns, supported free heart health screenings throughout the San Diego area, donated AEDs to youth sports organizations and schools, and helped establish three high school clubs focused on heart health and emergency preparedness. Through its community partnerships, the foundation has helped provide free EKG screenings to more than 1,000 young athletes and teens, while also giving them hands-on CPR and AED training.

Sudden cardiac arrest can occur without warning, even in young and seemingly healthy athletes. Immediate access to an AED and trained responders can mean the difference between life and death. Outcomes improve dramatically when bystanders act quickly by recognizing the emergency, calling 911, starting CPR, and using an AED within the first few minutes.

Growing Focus on Cardiac Safety in Youth Sports

The donation comes as youth sports organizations across California prepare for new cardiac safety requirements under Assembly Bill 310, also known as the Nevaeh Youth Sports Safety Act.

Beginning January 1, 2027, California youth sports organizations will be required to ensure coaches are certified in CPR and AED use and have a written cardiac emergency response plan in place. Beginning January 1, 2028, organizations must also ensure athletes have access to an AED during official practices and games, and that AEDs are properly maintained and tested.

Assembly Bill 310 reflects a growing national movement to make AEDs as accessible in youth sports as they are in schools, public facilities, and other community spaces. It reinforces the duty of care youth sports organizations have to athletes, families, volunteers, and the communities they serve.

For many organizations, this shift is not just regulatory, it is operational, requiring a clear plan, training, and ongoing support.

For many leagues, especially those operating with limited budgets or serving underserved communities, the new requirements may feel significant. AED access, emergency response planning, staff and coach training, and ongoing maintenance all require time, coordination, and resources. This is why partnerships between nonprofits, safety organizations, schools, leagues, and community leaders are so important.

These new requirements reinforce the importance of the work Play With Heart Foundation and Response Ready are doing now: helping youth sports organizations move from awareness to readiness before an emergency occurs.

Building Safer Youth Sports Environments

Play With Heart Foundation continues to expand its impact across California by equipping youth sports organizations with the tools and awareness needed to respond to sudden cardiac emergencies. This includes AED donations, CPR and AED training, cardiovascular screening support, education, advocacy, and efforts to strengthen safety policies.

Founded by Amy Huang and Ian Dickinson, the foundation focuses on supporting local leagues, schools, and athletic programs that often lack access to critical emergency preparedness resources.

“We believe every child should have the opportunity to play the sport they love in the safest environment possible,” said Amy Huang, Co-Founder of Play With Heart Foundation. “Sudden cardiac arrest can happen without warning. When it does, having immediate access to an AED and people who know how to respond can mean the difference between life and death.”

Why AED Access in Youth Sports Matters

Sudden cardiac arrest is one of the most urgent medical emergencies in youth athletics. Survival rates can increase significantly when bystanders act quickly by recognizing the emergency, calling 911 immediately, starting CPR, and using an AED within the first few minutes.

Despite this, many youth sports organizations still lack onsite AEDs, trained responders, written emergency response plans, or a clear process for maintaining and testing their devices.

This gap is exactly what Play With Heart Foundation is working to close.

“This is about more than just placing a device at a field,” said Ian Dickinson, Co-Founder of Play With Heart Foundation. “It is about making sure families know their kids are playing in an environment where people are prepared to act. That confidence matters.”

Recent research continues to reinforce how critical immediate response is in these situations. Survival rates can increase significantly when an AED is used promptly, while delays in defibrillation lead to significantly worse outcomes. Additional data has shown that when AEDs are used within the first few minutes, survival rates can exceed 70 percent in some scenarios, reinforcing the importance of having both the equipment and trained responders onsite.

Partnership with Response Ready to Ensure Real-World Readiness

To ensure the AED is not just available but actionable, Response Ready partnered with the foundation to support training, implementation, and emergency preparedness.

An AED alone is not enough. Effective emergency response depends on readiness, confidence, training, and a clear plan that coaches, volunteers, and families understand before an emergency happens.

“An AED only saves a life if the people nearby are ready to use it,” said Shahin Enayati, Managing Partner of Response Ready. “Our role is to support organizations with training, program structure, and ongoing readiness so that when an emergency happens, people can act immediately with confidence.”

Response Ready supports youth sports organizations with a structured approach that includes:

Selecting and placing appropriate AEDs

Developing compliant cardiac emergency response plans

Coordinating CPR and AED training and recertification

Supporting AED maintenance and readiness

Helping leadership teams demonstrate compliance and preparedness

Preparedness builds trust with parents, protects young athletes, and reduces organizational risk. It also gives coaches, volunteers, and families the confidence to respond in the critical moments before emergency medical services arrive.

Through this collaboration, San Diego American Little League now has both the equipment and the support system in place to respond to a cardiac emergency.

Community Impact in San Diego

The AED was presented to San Diego American Little League President Ruben Quintero during the closing ceremony, attended by approximately 90 young athletes and their families. Play With Heart Foundation also provided players with branded shirts and used the event to raise awareness about cardiac safety in youth athletics.

Moments like this are not just symbolic. They represent a broader shift toward making preparedness a standard part of youth sports culture.

Expanding Access to AEDs, Training, and Advocacy

Play With Heart Foundation continues to grow its reach by donating AEDs to youth sports programs and schools, supporting CPR and AED training for coaches, parents, and staff, partnering on cardiovascular screening initiatives, and advocating for policies that improve athlete safety.

This work is especially important in underserved communities, where access to AEDs, screenings, formal safety planning, and trained responders may be limited.

Bringing AEDs and Training to More Youth Programs

Youth sports organizations, schools, and community leagues interested in improving their emergency preparedness can work with Play With Heart Foundation and Response Ready to bring AED programs, CPR training, and ongoing support to their teams.

Many organizations are starting now to ensure they are prepared well ahead of upcoming compliance deadlines.

Whether starting from scratch or strengthening an existing program, a structured approach that includes equipment placement, training, emergency planning, and maintenance is key to ensuring readiness when it matters most.

To learn more:

Explore CPR and AED programs

Connect with Play With Heart Foundation

About Play With Heart Foundation

Play With Heart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac arrest in youth athletes and supporting underserved communities through access to lifesaving education, screenings, and equipment.

The foundation provides AED donations, supports CPR training, partners on cardiovascular screenings, and advocates for policies that improve safety in youth sports.

Learn more: https://www.iplaywithheart.org/

About Response Ready

Response Ready is dedicated to ending preventable death by equipping individuals and organizations with the tools, training, and confidence to respond in the critical moments before emergency services arrive.

The company provides comprehensive emergency preparedness solutions including AED programs, CPR training, cardiac emergency response planning, and compliance support.

Learn more:

Learn more about AED programs, CPR training, and emergency preparedness solutions:
https://www.cpr1.com

Explore full emergency readiness programs for organizations and communities:
https://www.responseready.com

For medical oversight and physician-directed AED programs:
https://www.mdsimedical.com

To purchase AEDs and related equipment:
https://www.aedleader.com

Media Contact

Shahin Enayati
Response Ready LLC
+1 858-665-8444
info@responseready.com

Shahin Enayati
Response Ready
+1 858-665-8444
email us here
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Play With Heart Foundation Partners with Response Ready for AED Donation

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