“If you get, GIVE. If you learn, TEACH.”–Maya Angelou
Liberty leader Tina Charles made headlines this week after announcing that for the 2nd straight year, she will donate half of her salary ($50,000) to the Hopey’s Heart Foundation.
The monies donated will be used to purchase about 142 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs, a lightweight, portable device used to deliver an electric shock through the chest to the heart during sudden cardiac arrest. There’s a slight difference this year: 16 of these devices will be sent to Europe to ensure that each team in the women’s Euroleague has one in their facilities. An excerpt from the Associated Press:
“I commend Tina Charles for all of the great work she does through Hopey’s Heart Foundation,” said FIBA Europe President Turgay Demirel in April. “Tina is a fantastic example of a basketball player making a difference on and off the court, and this project is a welcome contribution to our efforts to provide the safest possible playing environment for our athletes.”
Tina founded the Hopey’s Hear Foundation in April 2013 in honor of her late aunt, Maureen “Hopey” Vaz, who passed away from multiple organ failure earlier that same year. She also works with the Wes Leonard Heart Team to ensure that AEDs are purchased and implemented in schools around the country.
“It means a lot just to keep the awareness out there about sudden cardiac arrest,” Charles said. “Taking an interest in others is key in my life. It’s my way of giving back. My passion of placing AEDs. Anything I can do to impact an institution with an AED is extremely important to me.”
In emergency situations, the availability of an AED can be the difference between life and death, so this unique initiative is great to see. Also, with Tina’s salary at around $100,000, donating half is huge sacrifice, one that sets her apart and is a glimpse into how big her heart is. Love it!
If you would like to learn more about Hopey’s Heart, visit http://www.hopeysheart.org/. Also visit http://www.heart.org/ for more info on CPR/First Aid/AED training near you.
(Original Story: Associated Press)
