Master Medical Equipment is located at 2345 Dr. F.E. Wright Drive in Jackson

Knoxville, TN – At 1:30 p.m., on the sidelines before their game against Georgia on November 18, Tennessee wide receiver Bru McCoy along with Mark Taylor of Master Medical Equipment presented a life-saving AED to the Maryville High School Athletic Department.

“I’m really inspired to give back to my local community,” said McCoy “And what better way to give back than by giving away life-saving tools and devices. Following the on-field collapse of Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin, from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), the significance of CPR and AEDs became even more evident to me. With SCA being the No. 1 killer of student-athletes in the U.S., it is imperative that AEDs and CPR & AED training are provided for youth sports, not just in Knoxville but everywhere.”

Huddle for Hearts, an initiative spearheaded by Bru McCoy, donated Automated External Defibrillators for every touchdown scored by Bru this year.

In the campaign called “Touchdowns for AEDs,” Huddle for Hearts is partnering with Master Medical Equipment, Zoll Medical, and Rescue One to donate AEDs to local youth sports organizations, placing life-saving AEDs and training staff, students, and parents on CPR.

On September 30, Bru sustained a season-ending ankle fracture during a game against South Carolina, after scoring one touchdown on the season. Inspired by Bru’s initiative, the rest of the Tennessee football wide receiver room joined Bru’s campaign. On November 3, the Peyton Walker Foundation announced that each Tennessee receiving touchdown for the remainder of the regular season would result in three AEDs donated!

Since then, the football team has raised 12 life-saving AEDs for the local community, with more to come in their final two games.

“As parents of a UT student and members of the Volunteer Club, we couldn’t be more excited for the great work being done in Tennessee through Huddle for Hearts and Touchdowns for AEDs,” said Mark Taylor, owner of Master Medical Equipment and sponsor for Bru’s campaign. “Our ultimate goal at Master Medical Equipment is to deliver life-saving AEDs and CPR training to communities, both locally in Tennessee and around the nation.”

Huddle for Hearts is an initiative created by Bru McCoy in partnership with The Peyton Walker Foundation, a non-profit based out of Camp Hill, PA, who works to increase awareness and survival rates for Sudden Cardiac Arrest through AED donations, heart screenings, and CPR/AED education and training.

“We’re really excited to be partnering with Bru on this initiative,” said Julie Walker, Executive Director of the PWF. “Our hope is to grow this program and have more athletes engaging with us to place more AEDs across the country. Huddle for Hearts will help to provide AEDs and CPR & AED training to under-served communities, while allowing Bru to gift a wonderful legacy to the Knoxville community.

“Rescue One is pleased to support the Huddle for Hearts campaign because of the lifesaving abilities they can provide. Rescue One’s experience shows that if an AED is used in a timely fashion that this can make the difference between life and death. We have been on this mission for over 25 years and know the value this will bring.”

(PHOTO: Mark Taylor, right, Master Medical Equipment presents a life-saving AED to Brett Coulter,  assistant principal, Maryville High School)