SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (August 28, 2026) – Continuing its statewide effort to fill a critical safety gap on Arizona school campuses, Fiesta Sports Foundation, in partnership with BHHS Legacy Foundation, completed its third year of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Assistance Program in 2026, delivering its largest impact to date.

In the third year of the Fiesta Sports Foundation AED Assistance Program presented by BHHS Legacy Foundation, 43 schools across four school districts – Phoenix Union High School District, Roosevelt School District, Nadaburg School District in Wittmann and San Carlos Unified School District on the San Carlos Apache Reservation – received AED equipment and certified training. This year's program donated 50 AEDs, trained 81 staff members as certified CPR/AED instructors, and will result in 4,860 staff members becoming CPR/AED trained, benefiting approximately 37,000 students and 5,000 teachers.

"Every AED we place on an Arizona campus is a chance to save a life. Three years and 98 AEDs later, this program is proof of what's possible when a community decides that no school should be without the tools to respond to an emergency," said Kristina Chumpol, chief impact officer and chief of staff at Fiesta Sports Foundation. "We're proud to keep growing this work alongside our partners at BHHS Legacy Foundation and every district that says yes to keeping its students and staff even safer."

To celebrate this year's participating schools, Fiesta Sports Foundation and BHHS Legacy Foundation hosted a Wellness Forum on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at Trevor G. Browne High School in Phoenix. In partnership with the American Red Cross and Phoenix Children's, the event included more than 200 educators and staff from participating school districts, partner schools and nonprofit organizations. The Forum featured expert-led sessions on empathy in leadership, building heart-safe campuses and emergency response planning, and concluded with a ceremony honoring this year's participating schools as they received their donated AED equipment.

Since launching in 2024, the AED Assistance Program has donated 98 AEDs to 80 schools across eight school districts, trained 243 teachers and staff as certified instructors, and positioned 6,625 staff members to become CPR/AED trained – impacting more than 51,000 students and nearly 7,000 teachers statewide.

As in past years, staff members from participating districts completed AED, CPR and first aid training through the American Red Cross under an instructor model, becoming certified to lead future trainings at their own schools and districts. Each district also received an instructor training kit to support ongoing training beyond this program.

"BHHS Legacy Foundation is proud to continue our partnership with Fiesta Sports Foundation in the funding and implementation of the much-needed Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Assistance Program for selected public schools," said Gerald Wissink, BHHS Legacy Foundation CEO. "Having school staff members trained in CPR, plus making AEDs available to the schools, will help to make the school buildings safer for students and staff. This encourages schools to develop or update emergency response plans, which will make them better prepared to respond to any future sudden cardiac events."

The program's growth comes as Arizona enters a new chapter in school safety. Beginning August 1, 2026, Arizona public high schools with athletic programs will be required to provide AED access at campuses and school-sponsored athletic events. Fiesta Sports Foundation and BHHS Legacy Foundation launched the AED Assistance Program in 2024 after identifying that no such requirement existed at the time, alongside no legislative mandate for CPR/AED training in Arizona schools.

"If it weren't for Fiesta Sports Foundation and its collaborating partners, we would not have been able to provide our schools with this critical lifesaving training or AED equipment," said Nadaburg Unified School District Director of Transportation Curtis McCandlish. "These resources are necessary to help protect our students, staff, athletes and the community at large when they are on our campuses."

Interested schools who would like to receive benefits from the AED program in future years may complete an interest form here.
 

ABOUT FIESTA SPORTS FOUNDATION
Since its inception in 1971, the Fiesta Sports Foundation has been a world-class community organization that executes innovative experiences, drives economic growth and champions charitable causes, inspiring pride in all Arizonans during and outside of college football bowl season. As a nonprofit organization, it is driven by its vision to create unforgettable experiences through world-class sporting events, unparalleled hospitality and life-changing community impact. Through the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, Cactus Bowl and its year-round events, including the Fiesta Bowl Parade presented by Lerner & Rowe, corporate partnerships and numerous community events throughout the year, the Foundation provides charitable resources to support Arizona nonprofit organizations that serve communities through a focus on youth, sports and education. Learn more at www.FiestaSportsFoundation.org and @Fiesta_Bowl on X/Instagram.
 
ABOUT BHHS LEGACY FOUNDATION
Since inception in 2000, BHHS Legacy Foundation has enhanced the quality of life and health in the Greater Phoenix and Tri-State regions, investing more than $160 million in health-related nonprofits in the communities we serve. Learn more at www.bhhslegacy.org.