Health advocate Allison Gingold is the 2015 recipient of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Outstanding Advocacy Award, one of the top honors given to volunteers in the Western States Affiliate, which covers Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Gingold accepted her award during the volunteer awards dinner in Los Angeles on June 8.
The Outstanding Advocacy Award recognizes a volunteer’s exceptional achievement in grassroots advocacy of health issues critical to the mission of the American Heart Association. Gingold was commended for her work to improve the chain of survival in Los Angeles.
Gingold strongly advocated for legislation recently passed into law that made it easier for public schools to get funding for an automated external defibrillator (AED), a portable device used to revive victims of sudden cardiac arrest. She is currently involved in efforts to pass legislation which aims to create a new generation of lifesavers by ensuring that all California students receive Hands-Only CPR training before high school graduation.
Gingold started volunteering with the American Heart Association and became passionate about the issue of strengthening the chain of survival after her son’s life was saved by CPR and AED during an overseas family trip.
“Upon returning to Los Angeles, I was shocked and dismayed to find the lack of availability of AEDs and CPR training on school campuses,” said Gingold. As a result of Gingold’s advocacy, the school her children go to purchased several AEDs and provided faculty and administrative staff CPR and AED training. The school has also adopted Hands-Only CPR training as a requirement for high school graduation.
To learn about volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles, visit www.heart.org/losangeles or call (213) 291-7000.
