February is National Heart Month and to raise awareness about the 23,000 children lost each year to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), The Peyton Walker Foundation is participating in the second annual National Youth Heart Screening Day, on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill, PA from 9am – 3pm.
The Peyton Walker Foundation is one of 24 organizations from across the country joining together for this initiative. UPMC Heart & Vascular is partnering with the Foundation to provide the medical staffing for this event. Pre-registration is required – visit peytonwalker.org
Julie Walker, president of The Peyton Walker Foundation, and a parent who lost her own child to sudden cardiac arrest, emphasizes the importance of early detection of heart issues. “We know that so many children have undetected heart conditions that can put them at risk for sudden cardiac arrest or death. These FREE early screenings with a simple electrocardiogram (EKG) can help to prevent these tragedies,” said Walker.
Across the US, partner organizations will offer FREE heart screenings on February 7 for children and young adults ages 10 to 22. These screenings aim to educate the public about warning signs, family heart history and risk factors that are often missed or misdiagnosed. The initiative highlights the importance of comprehensive early detection screening, which identifies more youth at risk for SCA. Additionally, everyone who attends the screening will learn how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) during a cardiac emergency.
The Peyton Walker Foundation’s event on National Youth Heart Screening Day includes non-invasive electrocardiogram (EKGs) interpreted by cardiologists from UPMC Heart & Vascular. For those with family history or findings during the heart murmur check or EKG – echocardiograms (ultrasounds) of the heart will also be provided at no cost.
Special events and activities planned for the day:
Giveaway: An ice cream giveaway to the first 100 students to commemorate “National Ice Cream For Breakfast Day” – donated by Hershey’s Ice Cream.
Guest Appearances: Huddle For Hearts athlete, Addie Lyon – former Penn State Women’s Volleyball Player and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivor, will make an appearance for photos and autographs. She will be joined by Caroline Jurevicius from the Penn State Women’s Volleyball Team.
AED Donations: Additionally, Huddle for Hearts – Powered by Peyton Walker Foundation – will be making donations of AEDs (defibrillators) to the Hershey Junior Bears Hockey Team and Trinity High School Volleyball Teams at 11:00 am. AEDs are an important lifesaving tool and can be the difference between life and death during a cardiac arrest event. The Foundation and Huddle For Hearts have donated over 2,200 AEDs over the past 12 years. Several of these AEDs have been used to save lives throughout the Central Pennsylvania community.
