The Chad Foundation for Athletes and Artists mission is two fold: First, to raise the awareness of Sudden Cardiac Death in Young Athletes and Students through educational lectures, videos, research and preventive "Cardiovascular Screenings to High Schools, Colleges, Athletic Orgs. and the Disenfranchised," which also identify early cardio risk factors. Secondarily, our mission as artists is to create/produce/sponsor art - film, theatre, and books that celebrate American stories of all heritages and provide inspiring role models. Chad is dedicated to showing the inherent diversity of our country - the struggles, joys, and dreams of all Americans and providing a format for artists of all heritages to showcase their talents. "The Gifts of Heart and Art."
The Chad Foundation is a story of one family's way of dealing with the tragic loss of a 26 year old Son due to Sudden Cardiac Death in young athletes. On April 29, Chad was playing football in Van Nuys, CA, and collapsed suddenly and died with no history of heart disease. The Chad Foundation for Athletes and Artists was founded, to inspire youth to live as he did- anti-substance abuse and alcohol-free, "Healthy body/mind/ spirit." (Chad never smoked a cigarette or drank an alcoholic beverage his entire Life.)
The Gift of Heart and Art
The Chad Foundation provided the very first "Free Echocardiogram Screening for Young Athletes" in the country in July 2000 at North Hollywood High School. Since that time Chad has provided 31 cardiovascular screening events in 5 states and abroad (Austria, screening 16 countries of athletes and Sweden, screening 26 countries of athletes participating in the "Homeless Streetsoccer World Cups") for a total of 7,250 persons screened. In NY, Chad has provided 2,100 free echocardiogram screenings: post 9-11, Chad provided 2,000 NYPD officers with complete cardiovascular screenings at The NY Police Academy and prior to that, 100 Columbia University football players were also given free echocardiograms, ECGs, diabetes, cholesterol, BMI (obesity) and blood pressure screenings.
The Chad Players have provided 9 off Broadway multi-cultural performances to challenge the mind and heal the spirit, including their production of "Days of Wine and Roses" which was sponsored by "The Atlantic City Commission on Missing & Abused Children" as the community event of the year to show teens the deletrious effects substance abuse can have on the family.
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(May 29, 2013)