Our idea was to put lifesaving power into the hands of New Yorkers.

First, we created Rhythm Rescue, a multiplayer, 2-screen game that teaches participants the correct rhythm for hands-only CPR and is designed to make training accessible to anyone. We first introduced Rhythm Rescue to more than 800 attendees at the annual AHA gala and made it available online at http://rrsq.org.

But we knew this wasn’t enough. We needed to go straight to the heart of New York City: Times Square. Our goal wasn’t just to bring Rhythm Rescue to a bigger stage. We wanted to train as many New Yorkers as possible in a single day and to break the Guinness World Record for the number of people participating in a consecutive hands-only CPR relay.

To make hands-only CPR training as accessible as possible, we designed a gaming experience that was simple, fun, and available online. We introduced Rhythm Rescue through the AHA and made it available online at http://rrsq.org.

We knew, however, that we could do more. So we brought Rhythm Rescue to the heart of New York City through the NYC CPR event. First, we created Rhythm Rescue-inspired promotional materials, signage, and media leading up to and on the day of the event.

Then we made Rhythm Rescue a central part of the event, featuring the game in the training area and in all media, including 3 giant screens in Times Square. The screens variously drove awareness and featured the second screen in the Rhythm Rescue game. Given the high traffic in Times Square, they were critical in attracting people to the event.

Through the Times Square event, we reached a wide range of New Yorkers—politicians, children, executives, celebrities, and even the Naked Cowboy, a Times Square icon.

At a minimum, our relay had to include at least 250 trained people to break the Guinness World Record. We surpassed this number within the first couple of hours of the event and in total trained 700 people in hands-only CPR, a 3-fold increase over the previous record.

The event also generated awareness of hands-only CPR and Rhythm Rescue through the media coverage and social media posts of participants and medical institutions associated with the AHA.

Ultimately, only one metric truly mattered. Shortly after the event, a participant named Staci Weininger was in a yoga class when the man in front of her collapsed. She performed hands-only CPR until an ambulance arrived, saving the man’s life. Today, Staci shares her story to support CPR training.