Cardiac Crusade Hosts Pickleball Palooza to Save Lives with AED Mapping

Greg and Julie Coon, Co-Founders of Cardiac Crusade

DFW nonprofit Cardiac Crusade hosts Pickleball Palooza to fund AED mapping and raise awareness for sudden cardiac arrest survival.

DALLAS, TX, UNITED STATES, October 22, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Plano based nonprofit Cardiac Crusade is inviting DFW area residents to don their athletic wear for some sport and FUNdraising at the Pickleball Palooza. This community celebration and fundraising tournament kicks off at 11:15am at Chicken N Pickle in Allen on Friday, October 24, 2025. The event directly supports Cardiac Crusade’s mission to locate and register Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) across North Texas—dramatically improving survival rates from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

Celebrating the Chain of Survival
The Pickleball Palooza holds deep personal significance for the founders, Greg and Julie Coon, as Julie is an SCA survivor. The event will feature a moving reunion with one of Julie’s original first responders in attendance. Come meet supporters and celebrate the lifesaving power of CPR and AED access.
“If you witness someone having a cardiac arrest, you can help save their life. First call 911, then start CPR, and send someone to retrieve an AED. The national survival rate for cardiac arrest is less than 10%, but in communities where the AEDs are mapped, the survival rate can reach 70%. That is the global standard we are fighting for,” said Julie Coon, Co-Founder of Cardiac Crusade and an SCA survivor.

“Every AED we map is a potential life saved in our community,” added Greg Coon, Co-Founder of Cardiac Crusade. “This event is not only a fun and active way to kick off the weekend, it’s a powerful tribute to the first responders and bystanders who acted quickly to save Julie’s life. Our volunteers are empowering 911 dispatchers by verifying the real-time locations of the closest AEDs.”

Tournament, Taco Feast & Dallas Memorabilia
The Pickleball Palooza promises an afternoon of food, community, and fun for all ages. The court space and equipment is generously donated by Chicken N Pickle and includes an instructor available to teach beginners. There’s a guaranteed minimum of three games for every team and prizes for the winners. Participants will also enjoy an incredible Taco Feast Buffet and a massive Chips Bar, providing the perfect fuel for the day’s activities.

For those not playing pickleball, the venue offers plenty of entertainment, including Cornhole, Giant Jenga, Ping Pong, Foosball, and Battleship.

Event Details
What: Cardiac Crusade Pickleball Palooza
When: Friday, October 24, 2025 from 11:15 am to 3pm
Where: Chicken N Pickle, Allen, TX
Why: All proceeds directly fund Cardiac Crusade’s AED mapping, volunteer training, and public awareness initiatives.
Registration & Auction: https://tinyurl.com/CardiacCrusadePickleball

About Cardiac Crusade
Cardiac Crusade is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to saving lives from sudden cardiac arrest by ensuring Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are visible, accessible, and actionable when every second counts. The organization was founded by Greg and Julie Coon after Julie suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in 2018 at Plano Senior High School. Julie survived because people nearby called 911, performed CPR, and knew how to quickly locate and use an AED to shock her heart back to life.
From that experience, Greg and Julie recognized the urgent need to make AEDs instantly searchable for both emergency dispatchers and the public. Today, Cardiac Crusade’s life-saving mission is to build real-time readiness in communities across the country through a two-phase strategy:
Phase 1: Mobilize an “army of volunteers” to register AEDs in a national database accessible to EMS dispatchers at no cost.
Phase 2: Integrate those verified AEDs directly into Google Maps and Apple Maps to ensure universal access when every second counts.

Achievements and Milestones
Mapped over 1,200 AEDs during a four-month campaign in Western NY
Partnered with Google, sending 7.5 million emails to U.S. businesses and resulting in 4,000+ AED registrations
Volunteers have verified 10,000+ AEDs nationwide—statistically saving 16 lives each year
Launched a Massachusetts campaign to register 1,500 AEDs between Oct. 16, 2025 – Feb. 14, 2026
Julie’s TED Talk continues to educate and inspire thousands across the country

Media Inquiries:
Greg Coon, Co-Founder, Cardiac Crusade
214-207-5303 (Text)
thecardiaccrusade@gmail.com
www.cardiaccrusade.org

Gregory Coon
Cardiac Crusade
+14699398375 ext.
email us here
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Julie Coon - I'm Putting My Heart Into Changing the Odds

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