MADEIRA, Ohio — A team of Madeira High School students has raised $13,000 to purchase automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for local facilities and schools that lack the life-saving equipment.
The student-led nonprofit organization, MAED for More, was created as part of a class competition in which three teams of students worked to raise money for organizations of their choice while developing business plans.
"As a high school student, you don't realize how much (of) a difference you can make," said senior and business plan executor Sammy McClain.
The MAED for More team partnered with Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Project Adam.
"What we ended up doing was hosting all these events like the 5K we ran or the booths at the football games," McClain said.
Students said they had raised more money than they thought they would.
"We over tripled our expectations," McClain said.
The funds will provide AEDs and other life-saving equipment to facilities, including the West End Community Center in downtown Cincinnati, Saint Rita's School for the Deaf, Purcell Marian High School and Gym Skills in Blue Ash.
Hear more about the students' mission in the video below:
Dr. Adam Powell, pediatric cardiologist and co-medical director at Project Adam, emphasized the importance of these devices. Project Adam is an organization that works to make schools, centers and more become "Heart Safe."
"It's amazing because each of these machines have the potential to save someone's life," Powell said.
The students said Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest during a game at Paycor Stadium served as a significant inspiration for their project.
"We were really inspired by the Damar Hamlin situation and how that made a big impact for all of us because a lot of us on this team are student-athletes," said senior Caroline Horak, who handled graphic design and social media for the nonprofit.
McClain is part of Madeira High School's wrestling team. He describes watching someone go into cardiac arrest as "one of the scariest things you can see."
The project took on additional meaning when Madeira's wrestling coach experienced a cardiac emergency at school.
"[He] went into cardiac arrest and thankfully for us, there are AEDs close enough to where we were able to save his life," McClain said.
Though the class has concluded, the students expressed pride in their contribution to community safety.
"It really shows the difference just eight high schoolers can make," McClain said.
