Ramsgate RSL were proud to link arms with local Ramsgate RSL Junior AFL and Ramsgate Nippers sporting clubs and help fund the cost of a defibrillator to keep local sporting teams safe.
A sudden cardiac arrest is the largest cause of death in Australia. 30,000 people die every year - or 600 a week.
Without a defibrillator people have only a six per cent chance of surviving compared to a 90 per cent survival rate with one.
Ramsgate RSL partnered with Guy Leech, Australian Ironman champion and founder of Heart180 to provide a safe and easy to use defibrillator to each sporting club.
After the shock death of a friend, Guy is now on a mission to get a heart defibrillator within
180 seconds of every person in Australia.
"It's simple, we want to stop so many Australians dying from cardiac arrests every year" Guy said.
"Whether you're at home or at work, if we can get a defibrillator within 180 seconds of every Australian, over 20,000 lives can be saved every year".
A common misconception is that cardiac arrests only happen to adults. The sad fact is it does
not discriminate and can just as easily happen with children.
"We decided to take up the defibrillator as we believe we have a responsibility to not only
protect our players and families but also any visiting opposition players and their families" Ramsgate RSL Junior AFL Club treasurer Todd Dalton said.
"We would hate to be in a position of helplessness and be unable to save someone's life. While we hope to never have to use the defibrillator gives us great peace of mind".
For more information on Heart180 and how it can help you, visit www.heart180.com.au
