Hearts and Heroes 2025: A celebration of second chances
Published on February 14, 2025
Attendees shared a few tears, some powerful hugs and plenty of “thank-yous” during Thursday’s annual Hearts and Heroes event.
Held at the 601 Milestone Venue in Concord, the red-carpet event reunited survivors with the public safety teams and bystanders that helped save their lives. Cabarrus County EMS collaborates with Atrium Health Cabarrus on the event, which is now in its 12th year.
“Tonight, we’re celebrating 27 lives saved,” said Cabarrus County Communications Manager Dominique Clark, who hosted the event. “That’s 27 individuals who got to wake up this morning. Who got the opportunity to create more memories and experiences with their loved ones, their friends and their neighbors. That’s all because the people in this room ... had the audacity, the bravery, the courage to step up and help these people have a second chance at life.”
Following introductions and dinner, the “hearts” walked to the front of the stage as Clark detailed their stories. Their “heroes” then joined them before the entire group walked the red carpet to the back of the room for a photo. The survivors also received a canvas with signatures of all those involved in the save.
One story featured a man who went into cardiac arrest while waiting for his turn at the Klippah Talk Barber Shop in Kannapolis. When the man collapsed, shop co-owner Robert Rice and customer Donald Anderson jumped into action. Working from the guidance of a 911 telecommunicator, the men began CPR. Kannapolis Fire Department personnel soon arrived and placed the victim on an automated external defibrillator (AED).
He received one shock, and first responders continued CPR. By the time EMS arrived, the man had regained a pulse and began talking to paramedics.
The case highlighted the importance of early CPR and early defibrillation, officials said.
Rice described Klippah Talk customers and staff as “… one big family. We saw it as somebody in trouble and we just jumped in and did what we needed to do to make sure his children had a father and his wife had a husband,” Rice said.
“It was just one of those things of being at the right place at the right time,” Anderson said. “Just thank God that there were people there that cared about what was going on. We just joined together and took on the task.”
Klippah Talk also received a Heart Safe Workplace award and AED for the shop, courtesy of the Cabarrus County Firefighters Association. The donation “provided them with the technology to compliment the life-saving care they are already capable of providing,” Clark told the crowd.
Businesses interested in becoming a Heart Safe Workplace can contact the association at ccfa.treasure@gmail.com.
A video presentation highlighted metrics gathered through the Random Cluster Evaluation of Cardiac Arrest Systems (RACE-CARS) Trial. RACE-CARS is a Duke Clinical Research Institute project that works with participating EMS agencies, hospitals and other public safety organizations. The 7-year trial aims to improve outcomes for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims.
Cabarrus EMS has participated in the trial for the past two years, and among participating agencies has:
- Recorded the third fastest average time between 911 call to first compression, which was highlighted in an interview with Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office Telecommunicator Hannah Cooper
- Earned a top performer ranking in the number of AEDs applied prior to EMS arrival. City of Concord Fire Department Captain Steve Madorin and Engineer Jesse Meaney spoke on those efforts, along with Midland Volunteer Fire Department member Jeff Penninger.
The video also featured the story of Crystal Gribbins, a school nurse who helped saved the life of Athletic Director Pierce Moore after Moore went into cardiac arrest at Roberta Road Middle School.
During the event, Clark also noted upcoming community CPR courses. The next class is scheduled for March 1 from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the EMS Headquarters, 793 Cabarrus Ave. West. For more information about future classes, contact Deputy Chief Kara Clarke at kaclarke@cabarruscounty.us.
Learning CPR can help in critical times of need, such as the 27 incidents in 2024.
As Donald Anderson said: “You may never know when you may need the same help. Always do for someone else what you want them to do for you.”
Agencies honored at the 2025 Hearts and Heroes event include Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, Concord Fire Department, Kannapolis Fire Department, Kannapolis Police Department, Concord Police Department, Odell Fire Department, Midland Fire and Rescue, Cabarrus County Fire Services Squad 410, Town of Harrisburg Fire Department and Atrium Health Cabarrus.
Watch the full event presentation at youtube.com/cabarruscounty.