FENNVILLE, Mich. — Fennville High School is hosting the 8th annual Never Forgotten Game on Friday night, Feb. 22. The game is held in honor of Wes Leonard, a Fennville High School basketball player who collapsed on the court after making a game winning shot in 2011. It was later determined Leonard died of sudden cardiac arrest.
The Wes Leonard Heart Team was created following the teen's death. It raises money and purchases AEDs to be installed in high schools that don't have them or can't afford them. At Friday's game, they will be donating 17 AEDs to schools across West Michigan.
Each year, the Never Forgotten Game is played between Fennville and Saugatuck. The girls basketball game starts at 6 p.m. and the boys game starts at 7:30 p.m.
In between games, two survivors of cardiac arrest will be recognized: Lani Salinas and Luke Anhalt.
Salinas is a Lakeshore Storm Softball player who went into cardiac arrest in April 2018 at an outdoor practice. CPR was performed until an AED unit arrived from condos nearby. An AED was used on her twice while on the field. Salinas has since recovered after a two week stay in the hospital and a 6-hour heart surgery to insert a defibrillator.
Luke Anhalt, a Calvary Christian senior basketball player, collapsed on the basketball court during a free throw drill on Dec. 13, 2018.
Deaths like Leonard's is relatively rare, killing about 5 out of 100,000 people under the age of 40 in Michigan. However, it is understood that having quick access to an AED can make the difference between life and death.
Visit this website to learn which schools have AEDs available and how to apply to receive an AED at no cost.
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