Cardiac Crusade Golf Tournament Nears $20,000 Goal
News related to:Cardiac Crusade · 2 min read
BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, October 1, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Cardiac Crusade, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is nearing its $20,000 goal ahead of its annual charity tournament, The Cardiac Crusade Open, set to take place this Sunday, October 4, 2026, at Cyprian Keyes Golf Club (284 E Temple St, Boylston, MA) from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM EDT. The event aims to expand life-saving Automated External Defibrillator (AED) tracking and emergency response integration across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Founded by sudden cardiac arrest survivor Julie Coon and her husband Greg, Cardiac Crusade has built a volunteer army to locate, verify, and map public AEDs. The organization has mapped nearly 1,500 life-saving AEDs across Massachusetts through the Boston Shock Squad campaign, a grassroots initiative that unites medical students from UMass Chan Medical School, collegiate mappers from Northeastern University, high school students from Masconomet Regional and Saint John’s High School, and local healthcare workers.
The Boston Shock Squad was ignited when Lauren Quint, a sudden cardiac arrest survivor and mother of three from Dover, MA, reached out to Cardiac Crusade to ask if Boston could be the next mapped city. Quint, who was revived outside her doctor's office six weeks postpartum, serves as a primary advocate for the coalition. Tyler Mola, the Director of Operations for Cardiac Crusade, coordinated the squad, which has seen over 100 student and community volunteers contribute to the cause.
With player registration officially closed, the event has already raised more than 90% of its $20,000 goal. The funds will be used to support comprehensive volunteer training, safety gear, apparel, and volunteer recognition initiatives. Additionally, the money will go toward technology infrastructure to integrate verified AED data into 911 dispatch networks and native smartphone navigation platforms, making AEDs as easy to find as a coffee shop.
Cardiac Crusade has achieved significant milestones through its volunteer network and national programs. Over 12,000 AEDs have been verified nationwide, statistically saving 18 lives each year. In Massachusetts alone, nearly 1,500 AEDs have been mapped, ensuring their locations are immediately searchable by emergency dispatchers. The organization has also partnered with Google to deploy 7.5 million emails to U.S. businesses, generating over 4,000 direct AED registrations.
The national survival rate for out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest remains below 10%. However, in communities with comprehensive AED mapping infrastructure, such as San Diego, where over 2,600 AEDs are registered, survival rates can reach 50% to 70% depending on location. Cardiac Crusade aims to bridge the 90-second gap between a collapse and a life-saving shock, emphasizing the critical importance of rapid response.
The Cardiac Crusade Open will feature an 18-hole scramble, Longest Drive and Closest-to-the-Pin competitions, high-value raffle prizes, and an awards presentation honoring top teams and volunteers. The tournament is supported by a dedicated coalition of corporate and community partners, including Boston Scientific, Life Support Systems, Herlihy Insurance Group, NexDine Hospitality, Lignum Wealth Management, Masis Staffing Solutions, and Taymax Group.
Community members and organizations can still contribute directly to the final $20,000 stretch of the campaign by visiting tinyurl.com/BostonShockSquadGolfTournament. The event underscores the organization's commitment to saving lives from sudden cardiac arrest by ensuring AEDs are visible, accessible, and actionable.