This July, as we enter into our seventh year of the Laerdal Medical/AHA Strategic Alliance, it is my great pleasure to announce that Laerdal has awarded the AHA an additional $1.85 million grant to be used over the next four years of the Alliance. This grant will help to fund various CPR Anytime™ projects, as well as support Community CPR Manager positions through our AHA affiliates. Laerdal had previously committed more than $1.5 million for more than three years of program funding.
Since 2007, nearly one million CPR Anytime kits have been distributed through the work of the Alliance. Thanks to the diligence of the Community CPR Managers and the support of affiliate and Alliance partners, a record 146,000 kits were placed during fiscal year 2012. With a research-proven training multiplier of 2.5 people trained per kit, we can estimate that almost 2.5 million people have been trained in lifesaving CPR skills through CPR Anytime.
Our Strategic Alliance with Laerdal has been key to many AHA successes, both domestically and internationally. On behalf of the AHA, I want to express appreciation to our partner for their continued commitment and dedication to our mission. Our work with Laerdal, through global CPR Anytime programs and innovative technologies such as eSimulation, helps AHA extend its reach to diverse audiences, increasing the number of people trained in CPR and advanced life support and ultimately, increasing the number of lives saved through these interventions.
Please join me in thanking Laerdal Medical for their collaboration, passion and ongoing support.