This weekend, CPR Choice was proud to join thousands of community members at the 2026 Greater Knoxville Heart Walk at Covenant Health Park for a morning dedicated to healthier hearts, lifesaving skills and supporting the mission of the American Heart Association.
The annual Heart Walk brings together survivors, families, healthcare professionals, local businesses and community organizations with a shared goal: helping people live longer, healthier lives. Throughout the morning, heart disease and cardiac arrest survivors were recognized and celebrated, while teams from companies and organizations across East Tennessee walked together to raise awareness and funds for the American Heart Association.
For CPR Choice, one of the highlights of the day was getting people hands-on with CPR.
We brought dozens of CPR manikins onto the field and invited participants of all ages to stop and learn Hands-Only CPR. Families practiced together, adults refreshed skills they may not have used in years, and kids enthusiastically jumped in to learn how they could help during an emergency.
While some of our youngest participants may not yet be big or strong enough to perform high-quality CPR on an adult, introducing these skills early matters. Kids can learn to recognize an emergency, call 911, find an adult and begin developing the confidence to take action instead of standing by.
And they were definitely eager to learn!
The American Heart Association continues to make CPR and AED awareness a priority throughout Tennessee, including Hands-Only CPR demonstrations and providing CPR training resources to schools, hospitals, businesses and community organizations.
CPR Choice owner Cheryl Smith, who also serves on the American Heart Association’s Knoxville Board and is a longtime dance fitness instructor, helped kick off the Heart Walk by leading participants through a warm-up and stretch before the walk began.
Cheryl and fellow CPR Choice owner Travis Smith spent the morning alongside the CPR Choice team connecting with families, supporting the American Heart Association and sharing the lifesaving message that anyone can be part of the chain of survival.
Beyond the walk and CPR training, the field was filled with family-friendly activities, including face painting, hula hooping, tug-of-war and booths from local businesses and community sponsors. Companies throughout the area formed walking teams, raised funds and showed their support for better cardiovascular health across East Tennessee.
Those efforts have an impact far beyond one Saturday morning. American Heart Association initiatives support CPR and AED education and efforts to improve cardiac emergency preparedness in schools and communities. In Tennessee, the organization is also working to support implementation of cardiac emergency response plans and access to lifesaving equipment such as AEDs.
At CPR Choice, our mission has always extended beyond the walls of our classrooms.
Every student we train, every child who puts their hands on a CPR manikin for the first time and every family that has a conversation about what to do during a cardiac emergency creates a stronger, more prepared community.
Events like the Greater Knoxville Heart Walk give us another opportunity to take that mission directly into the community—and that is something we are incredibly proud to be part of.
Learn CPR. Know where the AED is. Be ready to act. You never know when the life you save may be someone you love.
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