On Sunday, Sept. 27, the Fairfield chapter of the John Taylor Babbitt Heart Club will hold their fourth annual “Walk with Heart” event to start at the green outside the lower level of the Barone Campus Center. The event will be a 2-mile walk around campus lasting from noon to 2 p.m.
The purpose of the walk is to raise awareness and money for automatic external defibrillators and CPR classes. The registration fee is $15 and registration opens at 11:30 a.m.
The JTB Foundation was created after John Taylor Babbitt, the son of a Fairfield alumnus, collapsed during a basketball game and died from an undiagnosed heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at 16.
The foundation, a non-profit organization, has helped to prevent sudden cardiac death by installing defibrillators in schools, sponsoring CPR classes and supporting research on genetic cardiac disorders. The foundation has JTB Heart Club campus chapters at different high schools and colleges, including The Pingry School, Babbitt’s alma mater, Villanova University and Fairfield University.
The Fairfield JTB Heart Club was founded by Sean Donovan ’11, who was a friend of Babbitt’s, Patrick McCahill, Jr. ’12 and Cathleen Keating ‘13.
The current president of the club, Carolyn Scaglione ’16, said, “Our goal is to create awareness for sudden cardiac arrest and raise money for more AEDs on campus, so in the event of an emergency, a life can be saved,”
Scaglione added, “The JTB Heart Walk showcases all the locations of AEDs on campus. We are working with DPS to determine the best placement of the new AED we are donating this year.”
The event will be for FYE Inspire credit. Participants will receive a complimentary T-Shirt, lunch and beverages.
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