Appleton Youth Football Association receives life-saving donation

The Appleton Youth Football Association (AYFA) received a life-saving donation on Wednesday.

Unison Credit Union presented a $2,400 check to the program to buy two automated external defibrillators (AED) units to the AYFA.

The donation is timely because October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Month.

Sudden cardiac arrest is also the leading cause of death among young athletes and AED units have been found to increase survival rates up to 50 percent.

"We have seen AEDs help young individuals. At Appleton North just a few years ago, we had a volleyball player that her life was saved by having an AED. This is a mobile device, so that we're able to get because at the youth level, we're able to travel to parks and all over the place and this is actually an AED that comes with us, so it not only protects our kids, it protects the other kids as well," said Nick Salm, President of the AYFA.

The units will be on hand at AYFA football games as an additional safety precaution for young football players.