Lynwood – Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget kneeled beside a group of nearly 30 Lynwood High School student-athletes as they administered chest compressions to CPR manikins while the Bee Gees song “Stayin’ Alive” blared in the background.

Liuget visited Lynwood on April 18 to donate 10 CPR kits to Lynwood high schools as part of the American Heart Association’s CPR in Schools program. Sharing his personal story of respiratory issues within his family, Liuget discussed the importance of CPR while AHA representatives provided hands-on training to both Liuget and the students.

“Six years ago, my son was born with a heart defect and it was only through his access to medicine and technology that he is now able to enjoy a healthy life,” Liuget said. “Today, doing CPR techniques is a good refresher for me. You never want to be in a situation where you don’t know how to save someone’s life.”

The LHS girls basketball team, which reached the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA final last month, and members of the LHS football team were among the attendees. The offices of U.S. Rep. Nanette Diaz-Barragán and state Sen. Ricardo Lara presented Liuget with a certificate of appreciation for his work with the AHA.

Led by an AHA representative, each student was guided through life-saving techniques with a CPR manikin that included: checking for breathing, calling 9-1-1 and providing chest compressions. The “Stayin’ Alive” tune helped the students find the ideal pace of the compressions, which is about 120 per minute.

“It’s pretty cool to know that I can now save someone’s life,” LHS junior Aaron Olivares said. “It says a lot that Corey Liuget would come to our school and make this donation. I’m glad that I got to experience this.”

The training kits, valued at $10,000, will serve Lynwood, Firebaugh and Vista high schools.

“The training kits will solidify our dedication to the safety of our students,” Lynwood Unified Superintendent Gudiel R. Crosthwaite said. “Of equal importance are the life-saving skills that our students learned today and can share with their peers and families.”

The donation stems from Liuget’s 2017 NFL Season Win/Sack Initiative, where he pledged to donate one CPR in Schools kit for every Chargers team win and every sack he recorded during this past season. Liuget totaled 1.5 sacks to go along with San Diego’s nine wins.

“Corey Liuget has made a noble commitment to improving the safety of young people and we’re grateful that he would extend that to our students,” Lynwood Unified Board President Alfonso Morales said. “We want to thank Corey and the American Heart Association for teaming up to educate our community.”
PHOTO CAPTIONS:

042418_LUSD_CHARGERSCPR1: Lynwood High School students administer chest compressions to manikins during CPR training from the American Heart Association on April 18.

042418_LUSD_CHARGERSCPR2: Lynwood High School students pose with Los Angeles Chargers defensive tackle Corey Liuget after receiving CPR training from the American Heart Association on April 18.