“Each year in the U.S., 350,000 people experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital. Nine out of 10 will not survive. But – if performed immediately – CPR can double or triple their chances of survival.”
Cardiac arrests can happen at home, at work and on athletic fields, yet in those emergencies, bystander CPR is performed less than half of the time.
As part of the American Heart Association’s largest community-facing initiative with a goal of turning bystanders into lifesavers, three local executives stepped up at the 2025 Greater Akron Heart Walk, leading the way in fundraising critical support for the Nation of Lifesavers movement:
- Peter Geise, FocusCFO: $14,565
- Jim & Julie Merklin, Bober Markey Fedorovich: $12,768
- Jim Hewitt, GPD Group: $5,663
Out of more than a thousand walkers who gathered for the walk on May 31st at Canal Park, these dedicated individuals rose to the top of the leaderboard, helping raise nearly $300,000 to fuel lifesaving CPR training and cardiovascular research. Every walker who joined and every dollar raised means more lifesaving moments for everyone.
“The Heart Walk is a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we come together,” said Jim Merklin, volunteer co-chair of the 2025 Greater Akron Heart Walk alongside his wife Julie. “By supporting this year-round initiative, we’re weren’t just raising funds—we’re equipping more people with lifesaving skills and making Akron a stronger, healthier place.”
Greater Akron Steps Up to Save Lives—and Spark a Nation of Lifesavers
In addition to raising critical funds on an individual level, the Greater Akron Heart Walk united more than 60 local companies in a shared mission: Doubling the survival rate from cardiac arrest by 2030.
This year’s top fundraising companies included:
- Summa Health System: $31,983
- Bober Markey Fedorovich: $18,227
- Cleveland Clinic Akron General: $15,786
“Our vision is to have one person in every household prepared to perform CPR. All of these teams made a lifesaving difference by committing to this cause,” said Samantha Campbell, senior development director of the American Heart Association in Northeast Ohio.
The 2025 Greater Akron Heart Walk was locally sponsored by Keep the Beat sponsor FirstEnergy Foundation.
Next year’s event will be renamed the 2026 Northeast Ohio Heart Walk. Dr. Teri Lash-Ritter, president of the Cleveland Clinic Akron General South Submarket, will serve as chair, where she will lead the continued fight against the region’s No. 1 killer: Cardiovascular disease. To learn more, visit heart.org/neowalk.
