Photo Credit: Queensland Cricket
The Queensland Cricket Foundation is backing a campaign to have all KFC Queensland Premier Cricket club grounds outfitted with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) unit for the 2024-25 season.
The Foundation is aiming to raise $15,000 as part of an end of financial year fundraising campaign to provide the final five AED units to ensure 100 percent of Premier club venues are covered by the life-saving equipment.
That will mean all fields used during the summer by Premier clubs will always have a unit accessible, whether during playing, training or if a member of the public requires urgent medical attention.
The campaign will see Queensland Cricket partner with Heart180 to deliver the vital equipment.
Heart180 was founded by Australian ironman champion Guy Leech in the wake of the death of a close friend due to Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).
Heart180’s goal is to ensure all Australians can have access to a defibrillator within 180 seconds of suffering a cardiac event.
Queensland Cricket’s desire to provide club grounds with AED coverage comes in the wake of heart attacks suffered by long-time Queensland and Brisbane Heat coach Darren Lehmann, and Premier Grade player Alecz Day.
Day, 31, was revived by teammates, coaches and paramedics after collapsing during a Sunshine Coast Scorchers training session in January 2020.
He went onto make a full recovery and is now playing Premier Cricket with University of Queensland.
Lehmann suffered a heart attack in February 2020 on the day of his 50th birthday and has since become a passionate and vocal advocate for a range of initiatives to promote cardiac health and AED access.
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in Queensland, with approximately 100 Australians losing their lives every day.
Access to a nearby AED provides sufferers with a 70% chance of survival if used within the first three minutes of a sudden cardiac arrest, making it vital that that our clubs are armed with lifesaving equipment that could save the life of a teammate, umpire, spectator, parent or coach.
There are currently 28 defibrillators installed across each of the 12 Premier Cricket clubs in SEQ, with this new campaign designed to cover all fields used across a season.
Guy Leech, Heart180 Founder and CEO said: “By supplying outdoor AED’s to premier cricket clubs, we provide 24/7 safety to the entire cricket community. Heart180 looks forward to partnering with Queensland Cricket and increasing the chances of saving many lives in the future.”
Queensland Cricket CEO Terry Svenson said the campaign would deliver the first stage of what is eventually hoped to be a State-wide roll-out of AED devices to cricket grounds.
“We are fortunate that so many Queenslanders enjoy the opportunity to get out and play cricket every day in our State, so this campaign through the Queensland Cricket Foundation can make a real difference to many people and potentially save a life,’’ he said.
Tax deductable donations can be made before 30 June by donating as little as $2 to the Queensland Cricket Foundation at https://www.qldcricket.com.au/heart-of-the-heat
