Shocks and Saves Game
Shocks & Saves Charity Hockey Game Continues Raising Cardiac Arrest Awareness Throughout Great Lakes Bay Region
Over 300,000 people are treated out of the hospital each year by EMS for cardiac arrest. It’s a sudden, abrupt loss of heart function requiring immediate attention, as a victim’s chances of survival diminish by 7 to 10 percent with every passing minute without CPR and defibrillation.
In 2005, Jiri Fischer, a defenseman with the Detroit Red Wings, collapsed on the bench due to cardiac arrest during a game against the Nashville Predators. He was unconscious for six minutes before being resuscitated by CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED).
A few years later, Fischer was attending a Saginaw Spirit hockey game where he encountered Dr. Peter Fattal, a cardiologist for Michigan Cardiovascular Institute. Soon realizing their connection, their conversation steered into cardiac arrest and they decided they wanted to do something about it together.
Using Michigan Cardiovascular Institute’s Pulse3 – a nonprofit organization striving to create a healthy and vibrant community – they approached the Saginaw Spirit about creating an event and it was then the Spirit introduced them to us, Mobile Medical Response. This newly formed partnership quickly blossomed, and the Shocks & Saves Charity Hockey Game was born.
The game made its debut in 2008 and featured teams made up of physicians, EMS professionals, and former hockey players. It was the first time Jiri Fischer played since his cardiac arrest. While the exhibition game brings plenty of on-ice fun, its purpose of raising cardiac arrest awareness is a serious one.
Since its inception, the game has helped raise funds to fight heart disease locally. This includes:
- Free CPR/AED training for the public
- The placing of AEDs in public locations throughout the Great Lakes Bay Region
- Support for the community alert system PulsePoint, which notifies those trained in CPR that their help is needed via a free phone app
- Free training resources to ensure area schools are prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies
More than 130 AEDs have been placed since the start of the event – with six deploys at those sites resulting in four lives saved – eight years ago.
Now, Shocks & Saves returns on February 7th at 4:30 p.m. at the Dow Event Center, preceding the Spirit home game against the Mississauga Steelheads. The 8th annual event will continue its role in raising awareness and funds by adding an online auction featuring signed jerseys from Red Wings like Gustav Nyquist, Pavel Datsyuk, and more, Red Wings tickets, a dinner party with the Spirit GM, and more. Bidding opens January 23 and closes the evening of the game.
Additionally, the event will continue the tradition of honoring local heart disease survivors before, during, and after the game. Survivors will be on the ice for the puck drop and one is even playing in the game. Following the game, there will be a special presentation recognizing the survivors and Jiri Fischer will be making an appearance as well.
Join in on the fun for a good cause and watch physicians and EMS professionals lace up their skates alongside former NHL players Jiri Fischer, John Ogrodnick, Petr Klima, and others. Tickets are $13 and include admission to the Spirit game. Purchase by visiting saginawspirit.net/groupsales (with Group ID: CPR & Password: Saves) or call the sales office at (989) 497-6506. Please be aware you must ask for a “charity ticket” when purchasing.