Fundraising tournament at Chicken N Pickle supports life-saving AED mapping mission inspired by co-founder Julie Coon’s survival of sudden cardiac arrest.
PLANO, TX, UNITED STATES, February 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Plano-based nonprofit Cardiac Crusade is inviting the North Texas community to grab their paddles for the 2nd Annual Pickleball Palooza. Following the overwhelming success of last year’s inaugural event, the community celebration and fundraising tournament returns to Chicken N Pickle in Allen, TX on Sunday, April 12, 2026, from 12:30 PM to 4:00 PM.
A Mission Forged in Survival
The heartbeat of this event is a story of survival that began on a normal day in 2018 at Plano Senior High School. Julie Coon, co-founder of Cardiac Crusade, collapsed from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). Her life was saved by the immediate and heroic actions of bystanders who executed the “Chain of Survival” perfectly: they called 911, initiated high-quality CPR, and—most critically—retrieved a nearby Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to shock her heart back into a life-sustaining rhythm, all within 2 minutes.
“I am only here today because someone knew exactly where the AED was and didn’t hesitate to use it,” said Julie Coon, Co-Founder and SCA survivor. “But for too many families, the story ends differently because a life-saving device was hidden in a back office or unknown to the 911 dispatcher. We are fighting to change that.”
The Critical Gap in Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Sudden Cardiac Arrest is not a heart attack; it is an electrical malfunction that stops the heart from pumping. When it strikes, the brain begins to die within minutes. While the national survival rate hovers at a staggering 10%, research shows that in “Heart-Safe” communities where AEDs are visible, mapped, and accessible, survival rates can soar to between 50-70%.
Cardiac Crusade was founded to close the “search gap” that exists between the 911 call and the arrival of an ambulance. The organization’s mission is to mobilize an “army of volunteers” to find, verify, and register every AED in the community. By getting these devices into a national database used by emergency dispatchers, Cardiac Crusade ensures that when a caller says “someone collapsed,” the dispatcher can immediately say, “There is an AED 50 feet away, behind the reception desk.”
National Impact, Local Roots
Since the inaugural Palooza, Cardiac Crusade has reached major milestones:
10,000+ AEDs Verified: Volunteers have mapped thousands of devices across the country, a feat that statistically saves 16 lives every year.
Massive Digital Reach: Partnered with Google to send 7.5 million emails to U.S. businesses, resulting in 4,000+ new AED registrations.
Western New York Registrations: Mapped over 1,200 AED in the Buffalo, NY area.
Strategic Expansion: Currently running a campaign in Massachusetts to map 1,500 AEDs, with upcoming launches in Lexington, KY and Atlanta, GA.
Event Highlights
The 2nd Annual Pickleball Palooza is designed to celebrate this “Chain of Survival” with an afternoon of high-energy sport and community:
Tournament Play: Guaranteed three games per team, with instructors available for beginners.
Chain of Survival Ceremony: A moving tribute honoring first responders and survivors.
Taco Feast & Raffle: A full buffet and a raffle featuring amazing experiences donated by local North Texas partners.
Wellness Zone: Free demo stretches provided by StretchLab Murphy to keep players safe and limber.
All proceeds from this event directly support Cardiac Crusade’s mission to locate and map life-saving AEDs across North Texas and beyond. You can join the fight to increase cardiac arrest survival rates by securing your tournament registration or raffle tickets at https://tinyurl.com/PickleballPalooza2026.
Greg Coon
Cardiac Crusade
+1 214-207-5303
thecardiaccrusade@gmail.com
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Julie Coon – I’m Putting My Heart Into Changing the Odds
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