Defibrillator donated to Linderman Gym
Berl Tiskus
K-Ann Delong, left, Shelley Croft, Chubby Chicks basketball, Ethan McCauley, coach, and Mikayla Croft, cheerleader, look on as Millie Nesladek, Linderman Elementary School nurse, holds the automated external defibrillator the Chubby Chicks donated to the district.
Berl Tiskus
Berl Tiskus
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POLSON — Four years ago the very first Chubby Chicks Basketball for Heart game was played at Linderman Gym as the Bloodclotters team took on the DeFibrillators. The main idea was to raise awareness of heart disease in women.
Two years ago at the last Chubby Chicks basketball game, an Automated External Defibrillator machine was donated by Chubby Chicks for Heart and is now ready to be hung on the wall at Linderman gym.
According to group originator Shelley Croft, having an AED machine is vital if someone goes into cardiac arrest because they have been known to save lives.
The Polson School Board approved a written AED policy in September. A written plan has been completed, which outlines the placement of the AEDs, a list of those trained, maintenance records, and use reports for the AEDs. The Polson School District now has an AED placed at Linderman Gym, Polson High School and Polson Middle School with the AED at Linderman donated by Chubby Chicks Basketball for Heart. Twenty-seven employees of the district took the “Heartsaver CPR/AED” training from Cindy Hagen, R.N. Several others are already certified in CPR/AED, and listed as authorized to operate the AEDs. Tim Thornton at St. Joseph Medical Center has agreed to be the AED Medical Supervisor. Millie Nesladek, R.N., will be the districts representative in inspecting the AEDs and monitoring the AED program.
“Thanks goes out to all the efforts in organizing the Chubby Chicks fundraiser, and subsequently purchasing the AED for our school district,” Nesladek said. “Who knows how many lives may be saved because of this donation.”
Shelley Croft said she is happy the machine is finally able to be put up on the wall before the basketball games start this year.
“Who knew by watching my kids play basketball and having this thought and implementing it, that this would be the outcome. It is such an accomplishment for us and I want to thank the players, the cheerleaders and everyone involved that made this happen,” Croft said.
She also thanked the Polson School Board for writing the policy so that the AED machine and the others can be in the Polson Schools. “It took a lot of work and dedication to get this AED up and going, but most of all I want to thank the community,” she said. “I have always said that this community supports all fundraisers and without that this would have not been made possible.”
Croft said she’s not sure if there will be another game in April 2015, but she will check with the players first before making a decision.
