Evergreen Pickleball Club Installs New AED; Schedules CPR/AED Training with EFR
OLIVIA JEWELL LOVE
Sunday, August 14, 2022
The Evergreen Pickleball Club and EPRD unveiled the new AED on Thursday at Marshdale Park.
The Evergreen Pickleball Club presented a $1,000 check to Evergreen Park & Recreation District Aug. 11 for a new AED at the pickleball courts at Marshdale Park.
This fast-growing sport defies its stereotypes of being “just for old people.” The Evergreen Pickleball Club has installed courts at Evergreen Middle School, and EPRD offers lessons for all ages. Sarah German is an instructor and ambassador for the club.
“We continue to grow," she said. "This is the biggest growth I’ve seen."
German teaches beginners through EPRD, and her classes always have a waitlist. There are talks about coordinating an EPRD afterschool program for kids after so much success with summer camps.
Linda Jacobsen is the USA Pickleball ambassador for Evergreen, CO. She said the Evergreen Pickleball Club is a very busy group, and she sees the sport growing among all ages. Jacobsen teaches kids how to play the sport, and often gets a hard question from the kids: “Why are you all so old?”
The sport is friendly to bodies of all ages and skill levels, making it a fun choice for young and old alike.
Cory Vander Veen, executive director of EPRD, was at the courts to accept the check for the AED from the club.
“This really means a lot,” Vander Veen said. “This is an amazing tool –having it in close proximity is really special.”
Evergreen Pickleball Club raised $1000 for the AED through its club members, and Evergreen Fire/Rescue donated the remaining $900 for the device. EPRD installed the AED at the courts.
A member of EFR said that AEDs installed in Evergreen have been used to save the lives of five people since their installation.
The Evergreen Pickleball Club and EPRD unveiled the new AED on Thursday at Marshdale Park.
Jerry Beth Owen, a member of the club, sports an Evergreen Pickleball shirt.
EFR Offers CPR/AED Training to EPC Members
Evergreen Fire Rescue is offering a CPR/AED certification class on Friday, Aug. 26, noon - 3 pm in the Training Room at EFR headquarters station in Bergen Park.
Why be certified? Heart disease and “sudden death” is the major cause of death in the U.S. Average response time for first responders after 911 is called is 8-12 minutes in an urban area. For us in Evergreen that time may be considerably longer. For each minute defibrillation is delayed, the chance of survival is reduced about 10%. With CPR/AED training you gain the skills necessary to help save a life. Let’s face it - our group is generally older and, statistically, more likely to need this type of life-saving effort. We got the AED; let’s learn to use it.
Worried about liability? Don’t be. Colorado’s Good Samaritan law says that a person at the scene of an emergency may render medical aid without personal injury liability for their actions. So even if a person renders aid in a way that is negligent, the victim or their family cannot bring a case against the person for the result of their negligent behavior.
Aside from being important to us, our families, and our friends, this class is guaranteed to be interesting and a lot of fun.
The class is limited to 16 club members. A $25 fee for American Red Cross certification is required.
Don’t Forget EPC Summer Tailgate Picnic Tuesday, Aug. 16 at Marshdale Pavilion
BBQ pulled-pork and chicken sandwiches will be provided by EPC. Bring your sides, apps and desserts to share, plus utensils and beverage for the 4-7 pm Tailgate. Join in the fun and games: competition courts for singles, doubles and dinkers; corn hole, and other skills games. Cool and wacky prizes for winners.
Let Pat Theno know you’ll be attending so we can get a head count.