Ken Jeong Suits Up in New "Stayin' Alive" Video for American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR Campaign

American Heart Association works with Crowdrise.com to raise awareness and funding

LOS ANGELES, June 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ken Jeong combines his comedic prowess with his medical training in a new Hands-Only CPR video from the American Heart Association that uses the disco hit "Stayin' Alive" to help people remember what to do in a sudden cardiac arrest. The video can be viewed at crowdrise.com/HandsOnlyCPR.

"I may play insanely crazy and comedic characters on screen, but as an internal medicine physician in real life, I want people to know that sudden cardiac arrest is a serious matter," said Jeong, star of The Hangover, The Hangover Part 2, and the NBC series Community, returning for its 3rd season this fall.  "Immediate action can be the difference between life and death. Everyone needs to know it's in their hands to help save a life."

The American Heart Association is working with Crowdrise.com, an innovative social fundraising website founded by actor Edward Norton, to raise money to support the association's lifesaving research and educational programs.

Directed by filmmaker Jesse Dylan (the creative force behind will.i.am's "Yes, We can" video and Bono's "RED" campaign), the video opens with a group of friends engaged in a lively game of charades. Suddenly one of the guests collapses from cardiac arrest. From the sidelines, Jeong comes to the rescue – clad in a white suit reminiscent of the one worn by John Travolta in the classic film "Saturday Night Fever." He dances around and instructs how to perform Hands-Only CPR using the beat of the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" to keep them on track – a song that is the near-perfect rhythm for performing CPR chest compressions.

"Ken Jeong brings relevance, authority as a medical professional, and, of course, excellent comedic timing to our new Hands-Only CPR video," said Ralph Sacco, M.D., president of the American Heart Association. "Even more impressive is his commitment to helping save more lives by volunteering his time for this project, which we know will make an impact by increasing awareness about the importance of learning – and using – Hands-Only CPR."

For four weeks beginning June 15, visitors to crowdrise.com/HandsOnlyCPR can win prizes for raising money for the American Heart Association, including:

• Two tickets to "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno
• Two tickets to "Ellen"
• "Hunger Games" hardcover books signed by Jennifer Lawrence (star of upcoming "Hunger Games" films)
• "Glee: Journey to Regionals" CD signed by Chris Colfer

Members of the Cities of Service coalition – a bipartisan coalition of mayors from across the nation who are working to harness the power of volunteers to solve pressing local challenges – are implementing Volunteer CPR, a high-impact service strategy in which the mayor's office works with local medical professionals and emergency responders to train volunteers in Hands-Only CPR. These volunteers then pledge to teach Hands-Only CPR to at least five others, helping their communities improve their ability to respond to sudden cardiac arrest emergencies. The "Stayin' Alive" video will be available for all cities pursuing similar Volunteer CPR initiatives.

"Stayin' Alive" and chest compressions
Alson Inaba, M.D., an American Heart Association CPR instructor and associate professor at the University of Hawaii, is credited with first using "Stayin' Alive" to teach students the correct rate of chest compressions. Studies show that when CPR training uses the song to teach the technique, people are more likely to remember the correct rhythm and feel more confident performing CPR.

Hands-Only CPR
Hands-Only CPR – or CPR without using breaths – involves two simple steps to help an adult cardiac arrest victim: 1. Call 9-1-1 and 2. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest until an AED arrives and is ready for use or healthcare providers take over.

Sudden cardiac arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart abruptly stops functioning. It's a leading cause of death in the U.S. with nearly 300,000 out-of-hospital cases reported annually. About 80 percent of victims collapse at home, as the victim's family, friends or loved ones often stand by because they don't know what to do. Providing CPR immediately is crucial – chances of survival more than double with immediate and effective CPR.

About the American Heart Association  
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies, and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or join us, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or any of our offices around the country, or visit heart.org. Learn more about the American Heart Association's CPR and First Aid courses at www.heart.org/cpr.  

About Crowdrise.com

Crowdrise is a website dedicated to online fundraising, event fundraising, volunteering, and having the most fun in the world while doing it. In 2009, Edward Norton, Shauna Robertson and Robert and Jeff Wolfe created Crowdrise after an experiment with what turned out to be super unique and successful campaign to raise money for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust during the New York City Marathon. They raised $1.2 million in less than 8 weeks, much of it from small donors who gave more than once, making it one of the top fundraising success stories of the marathon. Crowdrise takes that experiment to a whole new level: an innovative web platform where millions of individuals use the best tools and technology to raise money for over a million different charities, while competing in fun and quirky challenges with unique incentives and prizes.  Thousands of charitable organizations make Crowdrise their home for starting events, team fundraisers, and turning their base of grassroots supporters into a base of grassroots fundraisers. 

SOURCE American Heart Association