OREANDA-NEWS. The Canadian Pacific (CP) Grand Prix, held yesterday at Spruce Meadows, wrapped up with a big victory for McLain Ward (USA), aboard 13-year-old Warmblood, Rothchild in the USD 210,000 event. The Heart and Stroke Foundation was also a winner, as recipient of a significant generous contribution by the railroad of USD 120,000 to benefit youth heart health.

“What better place to launch CP Has Heart – our new community investment program – than in our home community of Calgary, at a Spruce Meadows event enjoyed by thousands of families,” said E. Hunter Harrison, Canadian Pacific’s chief executive officer. “Congratulations to McLain Ward, the winner of the CP Grand Prix.”

As part of the day’s events, CP worked with the Heart and Stroke Foundation at Spruce Meadows to help enable faster and better cardiac emergency response in the Calgary area, by teaching hundreds of Calgarians how simple it can be to save a life with CPR and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).

And every time a competitor jumped a clear round in the CP Grand Prix, CP donated lifesaving AED equipment and training (valued at USD 10,000) to a joint initiative with the Heart & Stroke Foundation, which is installing AEDs and providing lifesaving training where Calgary-area youth learn, play and gather. The first CPR and AED awareness events will take place at the Calgary Zoo this summer, and the initiative is working closely with other organizations in Calgary to ensure this lifesaving technology and training will be deployed where it is needed most.

About 40,000 Canadians experience cardiac arrest each year – about one every 12 minutes, and less than five per cent of those who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive.  That’s why the Heart and Stroke Foundation trains about 440,000 Canadians every year in CPR and AEDs – because using these techniques in combination prior to the arrival of emergency medical services offers the best chance of saving a life.

“CP’s gift means that more youth will be trained to save a life with an AED, which, when coupled with CPR, doubles the chance of recovery from sudden cardiac arrest,” said Donna Hastings, CEO, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Alberta, NWT & Nunavut. “This is a skill they can use and carry forward through their lives, to create more survivors tomorrow.”

CP’s support and presence at Spruce Meadows has a long history, a relationship that traces back to the very first tournament in June 1976. CP’s renewed sponsorship of Spruce Meadows continues in September 2014 with the Canadian Pacific International, which will offer the largest prize money awarded for a single-day event in show jumping, raising the 'Masters' Tournament to the richest event of its kind in the world.

“We are thrilled by the turnout at yesterday’s CP Grand Prix,” said Spruce Meadows President & CEO Linda Southern-Heathcott. “And honoured that CP selected Spruce Meadows as the site to launch CP Has Heart.  Spruce Meadows and the Southern family looks forward to showing our heart alongside CP in September.”