Buffalo residents will soon see more life‑saving defibrillators publicly identified after Russell’s Steaks, Chops & More in Williamsville announced a $25,000 Title Sponsorship with the nonprofit Cardiac Crusade, according to EINPresswire. The partnership will fund the 2026 Western New York Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness and Community AED Mapping Initiative, targeting Erie and Niagara counties.
Sudden cardiac arrest claims over 350,000 lives annually outside hospitals, with a national survival rate below 10 %. The disparity often lies not in the lack of AED devices but in the public’s inability to locate them quickly. Cardiac Crusade was founded by Greg and Julie Coon after Julie survived a cardiac arrest thanks to bystanders who found an on‑site AED. The organization’s goal is to map every AED into a free, centralized database for 911 dispatch centers and eventually integrate the data into navigation platforms such as Google Maps and Apple Maps.
“The statistics tell a compelling story,” said Julie Coon, co‑founder and survivor, in the release. “Across the country, fewer than one in ten people survive a sudden cardiac arrest. But in places like San Diego where more than 2,600 AEDs are thoroughly mapped and integrated into the emergency dispatch network, survival rates leap to between 50 % and 70 %.”
In Western New York, volunteers and school programs have already logged more than 1,200 AED locations, yet thousands remain unmapped in commercial corridors, religious sites, manufacturing hubs and private offices. Russell’s $25,000 contribution will support outreach to volunteers, production of educational materials, and a holiday‑season media campaign on WGRZ‑TV Channel 2 and the WGRZ+ streaming platform.
Russell J. Salvatore, owner of Russell’s Steaks, appears in a new public‑service announcement produced by longtime commercial partner Dan Monroe. “Taking care of people has always been my life’s work,” Salvatore said. “Sudden cardiac arrest doesn’t care about the occasion. Having an AED right here at our front desk means being ready to give someone a second chance at life.” Greg Coon, co‑founder and executive director of Cardiac Crusade, added, “Russell’s leadership ensures we turn that awareness into lasting, street‑level infrastructure.”
What’s next: The PSA featuring Salvatore will begin airing in December across WGRZ‑TV Channel 2 and the WGRZ+ streaming service, accompanied by a multi‑platform holiday media flight to raise awareness and encourage businesses and community members to register their AEDs with Cardiac Crusade.
Sources: einpresswire.com
