Mapping AEDs to Save Lives: Cardiac Crusade Nears $20,000 Goal Ahead of Massachusetts Charity Tournament

Funds raised at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club will expand life-saving AED tracking and emergency response integration across the Commonwealth.

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, October 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — National 501(c)(3) nonprofit Cardiac Crusade will host The Cardiac Crusade Open this Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club (284 E Temple St, Boylston, MA) from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM EDT. The premier charity tournament will bring together community members, healthcare professionals, and corporate leaders to fund the next phase of life-saving Automated External Defibrillator (AED) mapping and 911 dispatch integration across the Commonwealth.

With player registration officially closed, the event enters tournament weekend with strong community backing, having raised more than 90% of its $20,000 goal.

Founded by sudden cardiac arrest survivor Julie Coon and her husband Greg, Cardiac Crusade builds a volunteer army to locate, verify, and map public AEDs. Julie’s life was saved because an AED was located and deployed in time—a reality the nonprofit is working to secure for everyone. Through grassroots initiatives driven by the Boston Shock Squad, over 100 student and community volunteers have mapped nearly 1,500 life-saving AEDs across Massachusetts, ensuring their locations are immediately searchable by emergency dispatchers.

“You don’t need to wait until you have a degree, a specific title, or permission from someone else to start making a real impact in your community,” said Tyler Mola, Director of Operations for Cardiac Crusade, who brought the initiative to Massachusetts alongside survivor Lauren Quint and volunteer Danielle Piantedosi after both his grandmother and aunt suffered sudden cardiac arrest. “The Boston Shock Squad started with a simple question from a small group of people who cared. This tournament will allow our entire community to step up, celebrate our young mappers, and bridge the 90-second gap between a collapse and a life-saving shock.”

Key Statistics: The Critical Need for AED Access

The National Crisis: The national survival rate for out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest remains below 10%.
The Power of Mapping: In communities with comprehensive AED mapping infrastructure—such as San Diego, where over 2,600 AEDs are registered—survival rates reach 50% to 70% depending on location.
Rapid Response Impact: Delivering a shock with an AED within the first few minutes can increase survival rates to over 50%, with every minute of delay significantly reducing the chance of survival.

Proven Impact & Organizational Achievements
Cardiac Crusade’s volunteer network and national programs have driven major safety milestones:

Over 12,000 AEDs Verified Nationwide: Volunteer mappers have verified more than 12,000 AED locations across the country, statistically saving 18 lives each year.
Massachusetts Impact: Mapped nearly 1,500 AEDs statewide through the Boston Shock Squad campaign.
Western New York Success: Mapped over 1,200 AEDs during an intensive four-month regional campaign.
National Business Awareness: Partnered with Google to deploy 7.5 million emails to U.S. businesses, generating over 4,000 direct AED registrations.
Expanding Footprint: Launching active campaigns in Lexington, KY, while collaborating with municipalities nationwide to achieve HEARTSafe designation.

The Boston Shock Squad Movement The Boston Shock Squad was ignited when sudden cardiac arrest survivor Lauren Quint and volunteer Danielle Piantedosi reached out to Cardiac Crusade to ask if Boston could be the next mapped city. Coordinated by Tyler Mola, the squad unites medical students from UMass Chan Medical School, collegiate mappers from Northeastern University, high school students from Masconomet Regional and Saint John’s High School, and local healthcare workers. Quint, a mother of three from Dover, MA, who was revived outside her doctor’s office six weeks postpartum, serves as a primary advocate for the coalition.

Where the Money Goes
One hundred percent of proceeds from The Cardiac Crusade Open will directly fuel:

Comprehensive volunteer training, safety gear, apparel, and volunteer recognition initiatives.
Technology infrastructure to integrate verified AED data into 911 dispatch networks and native smartphone navigation platforms, making AEDs as easy to find as a coffee shop.
Expansion of regional campaigns nationwide to help cities attain HEARTSafe certification.
On-the-ground marketing, educational business mailers, and community AED signage.

Tournament Overview & Community Sponsors Sunday’s event will feature an 18-hole scramble, Longest Drive and Closest-to-the-Pin competitions, high-value raffle prizes, and an awards presentation honoring top teams and volunteers.

The tournament is supported by a dedicated coalition of corporate and community partners, including:

Boston Scientific (Global cardiac rhythm management & medical device leader)
Life Support Systems (National leader in AED sales, maintenance, and CPR training)
Herlihy Insurance Group (Third-generation independent New England agency)
NexDine Hospitality (Premier dining and hospitality management provider)
Lignum Wealth Management (Client-focused New England financial advisory firm)
Masis Staffing Solutions (Family-founded regional workforce partner)
Taymax Group (Leading North American Planet Fitness franchisee)
Saint John’s High School (Xaverian Brothers Catholic preparatory school in Shrewsbury)

While player registration is now closed, community members and organizations wishing to support the campaign’s final $20,000 stretch can contribute directly online at https://tinyurl.com/BostonShockSquadGolfTournament.

About Cardiac Crusade
Cardiac Crusade is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to saving lives from Sudden Cardiac Arrest by ensuring AEDs are visible, accessible, and actionable. Founded by Greg and Julie Coon after Julie survived a sudden cardiac arrest in 2018, the organization works to make AED locations instantly accessible to 911 operators and native smartphone maps.

Media Contact:

Greg Coon, Co-Founder
Cardiac Crusade
214-207-5303 (Text)
thecardiaccrusade@gmail.com
www.cardiaccrusade.org

Boston Shock Squad – The Cardiac Crusade Open
Cardiac Crusade
+1 2142075303
thecardiaccrusade@gmail.com
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