Cardiac Arrest Survivor to Headline Janet Fund Event

Jimmy Dolan, a 17-year-old from Monmouth County that survived a sudden cardiac arrest event at home, will be the guest of honor at the Janet Fund’s sixth annual fundraiser and will share his inspirational story with those in attendance on March 7th.

This year’s event will also celebrate the passing of Janet’s Law; which took six years of dedication, hard work and unwavering commitment, by The Janet Fund and its amazing group of volunteers and supporters. Janet’s Law was signed into law by Gov. Chris Christie on Sept 21. Janet’s law will require an AED in every school in New Jersey, make sure it is placed in an accessible location, and that an emergency action plan is in place to deal with a cardiac event.

The “Denim Derby” event, held at the Primavera Regency in Stirling, will feature horse racing, dinner, silent auction, raffles and more.

Sponsorship opportunities exist at a variety of funding levels from $25 all the way up to $10,000. Tickets to the gala are $85 per person. To purchase tickets or sponsor the event, visit www.thejanetfund.org. The past two events have been sellouts, so it is recommended to purchase your tickets early.

“For the sixth consecutive year, The Janet Fund is relying on this colorful event to support our efforts going forward,” Jim Zilinski, chairman of The Janet Fund, said. “We are hoping individuals and corporations alike will continue to make our work possible.”

“It really is a fun and inspirational night, it’s about the mission, but we try to make sure everyone enjoys themselves,” says Executive Director Karen Zilinski

To date, The Janet Fund has donated 113 Automatic External Defibrillator’s (AED) to New Jersey schools and youth sports organizations while training more than 2,000 people in CPR. A defibrillator is the key to surviving Sudden Cardiac Arrest. If defibrillated within one minute of SCA, survival chances are close to 95 percent. When an AED is used within 3 minutes, the survival rate is almost 75 percent.

The Primavera Regency is located at 1080 Valley Road in Stirling.

Janet Zilinski collapsed and died at age 11 at cheerleading practice in 2006 from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. In her memory, The Janet Fund was created to raise awareness and combat Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Sudden Cardiac Arrest takes the lives of 7,000 to 10,000 children each year and is the leading cause of death on school grounds. For more information, visit www.thejanetfund.org.