Today’s High Five Friday goes out to Team Mikey at The Mikey Network!
The Mikey Network is a Canadian Charity that is near and dear to our hearts. The charity was formed by Heathwood Homes and Herity after their dear friend and partner, Mike Salem, passed away from cardiac arrest in 2002. The main focus of The Mikey Network is to place as many Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), which they call MIKEYs, in as many places as they can. So far they have placed over 2200 AEDs. Over 200 of those are portable MIKEYs given to children, many of whom could not leave the hospital if they didn’t have an AED with them.
We partnered with The Mikey Network in their Mikey On Board program, and now all TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Canada moving trucks have a MIKEY AED in them, and all our movers, drivers, and office staff, are trained to use them.
Saving Lives
So far The Mikey Network knows of at least 36 lives that have been saved by one of the MIKEYs they have placed! Many people think of cardiac arrest as an “old people” problem, but the truth is people of all ages are affected. These MIKEYs have saved babies, high school students, a police officer, a marathon runner, the list goes on. The youngest saved was a three month old baby! You can read more here.
Please Help Make a difference
Tomorrow is The Mikey Network’s big annual fundraising event- the Walk of Life. It’s a 5K or 10K Walk or Run, at The Ontario Science Centre and E.T. Setton Park. This event is the main way they are able to fund programs like Mikey’s Kids, which provides AEDs to Children with life-threatening heart conditions, Mikey Young At Heart which places AEDs in Schools (More then 500 so far!) as well as programs placing them on Public Transit, in Police Stations, at Summer Camps, and more. They’ve placed over 2200 defibrillators across Canada and as far away as a Haitian orphanage.
If you are near the GTA Ontario, we hope you’ll join us and register to attend the Walk of Life. It’s sure to be a fun day, and even the weather is supposed to cooperate! If you can’t attend, please consider making a donation to help Team Mikey keep up their great work.