Cardiac Crusade nears $20,000 goal for Massachusetts AED mapping tournament

Cardiac Crusade will host its charity golf tournament Sunday at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, Massachusetts, as the nonprofit pushes to expand AED mapping and 911 dispatch integration across the state. The event has already raised more than 90% of its $20,000 target and will fund volunteer training, technology, and community outreach.

Why it matters: - Cardiac Crusade is trying to close the gap between a sudden cardiac arrest and a life-saving shock by making AED locations easier for 911 dispatchers and the public to find. - The nonprofit says broader AED mapping can improve survival in communities where emergency responders can reach defibrillators faster. - The fundraiser supports work that could expand this system across Massachusetts and beyond.

What happened: - Cardiac Crusade will host The Cardiac Crusade Open on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club in Boylston, Massachusetts, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT. - The charity golf tournament is designed to raise money for the next phase of AED mapping and 911 dispatch integration across the Commonwealth. - The event has already raised more than 90% of its $20,000 goal, and player registration is closed.

The details: - Cardiac Crusade was founded by sudden cardiac arrest survivor Julie Coon and her husband, Greg Coon. - The nonprofit uses volunteers to locate, verify, and map public AEDs. - More than 100 student and community volunteers have mapped nearly 1,500 AEDs in Massachusetts through the Boston Shock Squad. - Cardiac Crusade says its volunteer network has verified more than 12,000 AED locations nationwide. - The organization says that work statistically saves 18 lives each year. - In Western New York, volunteers mapped more than 1,200 AEDs during a four-month regional campaign. - Cardiac Crusade says a partnership with Google sent 7.5 million emails to U.S. businesses and generated more than 4,000 direct AED registrations. - The group is also launching active campaigns in Lexington, Kentucky, while working with municipalities nationwide on HEARTSafe designation. - Sunday’s tournament will include an 18-hole scramble, Longest Drive and Closest-to-the-Pin competitions, raffle prizes, and awards for top teams and volunteers. - All proceeds from the event will go to volunteer training, safety gear, apparel, volunteer recognition, technology for integrating verified AED data into 911 dispatch networks and smartphone navigation platforms, regional campaign expansion, marketing, educational business mailers, and community AED signage. - Community members can donate at the tournament fundraising page. - Cardiac Crusade’s media contact is Greg Coon, co-founder, at 214-207-5303 or thecardiaccrusade@gmail.com. - More information is available at Cardiac Crusade’s website.

Between the lines: - The Boston Shock Squad has become a local volunteer pipeline, pulling in medical students from UMass Chan Medical School, collegiate mappers from Northeastern University, high school students, and healthcare workers. - Tyler Mola, director of operations, said the tournament will help the community support young mappers and reduce the delay between a collapse and a shock. - Lauren Quint, a sudden cardiac arrest survivor and mother of three from Dover, Massachusetts, serves as a public face for the campaign after being revived outside her doctor’s office six weeks postpartum. - Cardiac Crusade is framing AED mapping as a public safety infrastructure problem, not just a fundraising effort. - The San Diego example cited by the organization suggests that dense AED registration can be tied to much higher survival rates.

What's next: - Cardiac Crusade will use tournament proceeds to expand Massachusetts AED mapping and strengthen the link between verified AED data, 911 dispatch, and smartphone maps. - The nonprofit plans to keep growing regional campaigns and municipal partnerships aimed at HEARTSafe certification. - Community fundraising will continue after Sunday’s event as the organization pushes toward its full $20,000 target.

The bottom line: - Cardiac Crusade’s tournament is a local fundraiser with a broader public safety goal: make AEDs easier to find fast enough to save more lives.