Celebrity Basketball Game to Salute First Responders, Teach CPR
Cassie Richardson
Published: October 14, 2019
For the third consecutive year, pick-up basketball enthusiast Elston Harris will team up with his cardiologist, Dr. Marlon Everett, and Chicago Police Officer Binyamin Jones – the man who saved Harris' life with CPR – to lead "Athletes Know CPR," a free, celebrity basketball and CPR training event. The public and anyone interested in basketball or learning CPR are invited to attend this family-friendly event:
WHEN: Saturday, October 26
TIME: 11 am – 3 pm | Game starts at Noon
PLACE: Mt. Carmel High School | 6410 S. Dante Ave. | Chicago, IL | 60615
"This year's game will be a fun, family event filled with exciting basketball play, free giveaways, meet and greets with elite players, and a salute to first Chicago's responders," says Harris. Most importantly, everyone attending the event will have an opportunity to learn the basics of CPR using life-sized mannequins.
Confirmed celebrity guests include Arnie Duncan, Rickey Green (Utah Jazz), Jeff Sanders (Chicago Bulls), Bobby Simmons (Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers), NBA World Champion Antoine Walker (Miami Heat) and Super Bowl Champion Darcy Johnson (New York Giants). Kareme Young of the hit Comedy Central series, "South Side," is also confirmed for this event.
Harris, 53, believed he was safe from heart troubles until a massive heart attack struck him down, on a South Side basketball court in June 2017. Harris is alive today because he received CPR immediately. Now he, Jones and Dr. Everett are on a mission to teach Chicago's recreational athletes how to save lives using CPR. In addition to the hands-on training offered at the annual celebrity basketball game, the trio also partners with Advocate Trinity's Athletes Know CPR outreach program to bring basic CPR instruction to area churches, community organizations and schools, including several Chicago Public High Schools.
For male athletes under age 35, the odds of experiencing sudden cardiac death are about 2 in 200,000. And, because the risk for heart attack in men increases after age 45, raising awareness about CPR techniques can save the lives of other recreational athletes, their family members and community neighbors. Heart disease is also the leading cause of death among women.