Donation From Dunwoody Woman's Club Funds New AED Device For City

Local Nonprofit Donates Funds for Lifesaving AED device to be installed at North DeKalb Cultural Arts Center building in Dunwoody

Dunwoody, GA July 29, 2014 – The City of Dunwoody received a $1,671.00 donation from the Dunwoody Woman’s Club (DWC) for the purchase of an automated external defibrillator (AED) unit and wall cabinet for future installation at the North DeKalb Cultural Arts Center in Dunwoody.

Committed to improving the safety of the community, the Public Issues Community Service Department of the DWC created the “Heart to Heart” fundraising campaign to purchase the new AED and wall cabinet. After learning of the need to increase the number of AEDs in the Dunwoody community, the DWC launched the “Heart to Heart” fundraising campaign to raise awareness and funds to purchase the lifesaving devices.

The “Heart to Heart” campaign raised money through sales of specially created “Heart to Heart” themed note cards. The cards were sold to DWC members, friends and family and each card depicted an image of a heart along with a notation that a contribution towards the purchase of an AED unit for the city was made on the recipient’s behalf.

The generous monetary donation for the AED device and wall cabinet for the Cultural Arts Center, home to Spruill Center for the Arts, the Dunwoody Library, and the Stage Door Players, was presented to the City Council at its July 28, 2014 City Council meeting. The DWC also presented the Dunwoody City Council with a commemorative framed poster painted by local artist Arthur Jones, which will be hung in the vicinity of the AED at the Cultural Arts Center.

The city will coordinate the device purchase in accordance with legal requirements and also manage installation and oversee maintenance responsibilities of the device. Once in place, the DWC hopes to work with the city to assist in providing outreach and education on the proper use of an AED.

“The generous donation from the Dunwoody Woman’s Club provides one of the city’s most frequented cultural buildings with a beneficial lifesaving technology,” said Michael G. Davis, City of Dunwoody Mayor. “Onsite AEDs can save valuable treatment time, and can increase sudden cardiac arrest survival odds because they can be used before emergency medical service personnel arrive on scene. This is a tremendous benefit for our community.”

According to the Unites States Department of Labor’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration, up to 60 percent of reported workplace fatalities related to heart attack, electric shock, and asphyxia, might have been saved if AEDs were immediately available.

Dunwoody Police Chief and Acting City Manager Billy Grogan said "In the three years we have had an AED in each patrol car, our officers have deployed the devices many times saving five lives. An AED is truly a life saving device."

Proper use of AEDs also increase the chances of survival from sudden cardiac death by seven to 10 percent for each minute without immediate CPR or defibrillation. Additionally, a study of Public-Access Defibrillation (PAD) found communities with volunteers trained in CPR and the use of AEDs had twice as many victims survive compared to communities with volunteers trained only in CPR.

The Dunwoody Woman’s Club has been serving the community since 1971 and has grown to a membership of 130 dedicated volunteers. The Club is committed to six Community Service Program Areas that are funded through the annual Dunwoody Home Tour. The next Home Tour is set for Wednesday, October 1, 2014. For more information and details about Home Tour tickets go to www.dunwoodywomansclub.org.

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