Arkansas Advocacy Day 2025: Uniting to save lives on school campuses from cardiac arrest
The American Heart Association’s Arkansas Advocacy Day 2025, held on February 6th at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock, was a powerful event, bringing together sixty-three passionate advocates, legislators, and speakers, including representatives from Project Adam and the Miss America Organization. The main focus of the event was to advocate for Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs) on school campuses.
AHA Board member, Merritt Finney talks with legislators
Following a morning training, advocates held nineteen meetings with key legislators and staff members, including the Governor, President of the Senate, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, and the Speaker of the House.
Legislator response was overwhelmingly positive, with many voicing their support for CERPs and committing to ongoing discussions. Our primary goal was to educate lawmakers and build momentum for the bill—and we unquestionably accomplished that goal.
Kennedy and Jennifer Allison share their story during legislative luncheon
The day was filled with inspiring stories and powerful moments. A standout highlight was the testimony of the Allison family, who shared how their daughter, Kennedy, was saved from cardiac arrest at school. Their story was featured in a compelling video shown during our legislative luncheon, and they also spoke in person about their experience. The Taylor family joined us as well, recounting how their son survived a cardiac arrest on the basketball court thanks to the swift use of an AED. Additionally, a CPR trainer who educates school nurses, trainers, and coaches statewide shared a remarkable story: just two weeks after training staff at a small school, they successfully used CPR and an AED to save a student on campus.
The day concluded with a press conference where the Allison family, Miss America’s Teen Peyton Bolling and our CERPs bill sponsor, Rep. Lee Johnson shared remarks.
Advocates attend CERPs press conference
Arkansas Advocacy Day 2025 was a resounding success! It demonstrated the power of advocates uniting to change the future of health by speaking out and speaking up to advance policies that are improving lives and creating healthier communities.