Some people in the room were alive because someone knew CPR.

Others were there because they had been the person who stepped in to help.

That made the 2026 Champions of the Heart Gala more than a night of dinner, fundraising and familiar faces. It was a room full of reminders of why this work matters.

Champions of the Heart Foundation held its third annual gala at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan, bringing together cardiac arrest survivors, lifesavers, community supporters and familiar names from Michigan sports.

The purpose of the evening was clear: raise funds to expand CPR training and AED placement throughout Michigan.

The 2026 Champions of the Heart Gala Had One Goal: Save More Lives

Champions of the Heart Foundation was born from founder Mike Garland’s own experience with sudden cardiac arrest.

The former Michigan State University assistant basketball coach suffered cardiac arrest while driving in 2022. Two bystanders stopped and immediately began CPR, helping keep him alive until emergency responders arrived.

Garland survived.

And what could have simply remained one man’s survival story became the beginning of something much bigger.

Champions of the Heart was created to help more people know what to do when a heart suddenly stops. The foundation works to expand access to Hands-Only CPR training and automated external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout Michigan communities.

The Champions of the Heart Gala helps fund that mission.

Money raised through ticket sales, auction bids and donations at the 2026 event will support CPR training sessions and AED placements across the state.

Jiří Fischer Returned to a Story That Started 20 Years Ago

One of the most powerful moments of the 2026 gala brought together former Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiří Fischer and Dr. Tony Colucci, the Red Wings medical director who helped save his life.

Fischer experienced cardiac arrest on the bench during a Detroit Red Wings game in 2005. His collapse ended his playing career and became one of the most memorable cardiac emergencies in professional sports.

Twenty years later, Fischer and Colucci stood together at the Champions of the Heart Gala.

Their story brought the night’s mission into sharp focus.

Surviving sudden cardiac arrest can come down to what happens in the minutes before an ambulance arrives.

Does someone recognize what’s happening?

Does someone know CPR?

Is there an AED nearby?

And is someone willing to use it?

That’s why Champions of the Heart is working on both sides of the equation: increasing access to AEDs while giving everyday people the knowledge and confidence to act.

Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Community Showed Their Support

The 2026 Champions of the Heart Gala also had plenty of Michigan State support in the room.

Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo led the evening’s live auction in support of his former assistant coach and longtime friend Mike Garland.

Michigan State basketball players Jeremy Fears Jr. and Coen Carr also made special appearances, while former Michigan State athletic director Clarence Underwood was among those attending the event.

Their presence brought some familiar Spartan energy to the Breslin Center, but the night wasn’t really about basketball.

It was about using the community surrounding it to help save lives.

The live auction, dinner and donations gave supporters a way to turn one evening at the Breslin Center into CPR training sessions and AED placements that can continue making an impact long after the room emptied.

Why CPR Training and AED Access Matter

Sudden cardiac arrest can happen almost anywhere.

At work.

At school.

At church.

At a sporting event.

At the gym.

In a parking lot.

Or, as Mike Garland experienced, while driving down the road.

When it happens, the people already there may become the first link in the chain of survival.

That’s why Champions of the Heart is committed to making Hands-Only CPR training accessible to more people and placing automated external defibrillators in locations where they can be reached quickly during a cardiac emergency.

The 2026 gala raised money specifically to continue that work throughout Michigan.

But equipment alone isn’t enough.

An AED needs to be accessible. Someone needs to know where it is. People need to understand how to recognize sudden cardiac arrest, call 911, begin CPR and use the AED while emergency help is on the way.

Prepared communities don’t happen by accident.

They happen because people decide ahead of time to be ready.

Honoring Cardiac Arrest Survivors and the People Who Saved Them

One of the things that made the 2026 Champions of the Heart Gala different from a typical fundraiser was the people being honored.

Cardiac arrest survivors attended alongside the people who helped save their lives.

Those stories put faces to something that can otherwise become a collection of statistics.

Behind every survivor is a moment when something went terribly wrong.

And often, there is another person in that story who chose to act.

A stranger.

A coworker.

A coach.

A doctor.

A teammate.

A family member.

Someone who started CPR.

Someone who found an AED.

Someone who refused to stand by and wait.

Champions of the Heart exists to help more people become that someone.

One Night at the Breslin Center, An Impact Across Michigan

The Champions of the Heart Gala may happen once a year, but the money raised doesn’t stay in the room.

Funds from the 2026 gala will support CPR training and AED placements throughout Michigan.

That means more people learning Hands-Only CPR.

More organizations becoming prepared for cardiac emergencies.

More AEDs being placed where people can reach them.

And, ultimately, more opportunities for someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest to get the help they need in those first critical minutes.

That’s the real measure of a successful gala.

Not simply how many people attended or what happened during the auction.

It’s what happens next.

Continuing the Work After the 2026 Champions of the Heart Gala

The gala may be over, but the mission isn’t.

Champions of the Heart Foundation continues to work with communities and organizations to expand CPR education, increase access to AEDs and help people become more confident responding to sudden cardiac arrest.

And you don’t have to attend the annual gala to be part of that work.

You can learn Hands-Only CPR.

You can make sure your workplace, church, school, gym or community organization has an accessible AED.

You can support the placement of lifesaving equipment in communities that need it.

You can help someone else learn what to do.

Because the person who saves a life isn’t always a doctor or paramedic.

Sometimes it’s simply the person who was there.

And knew what to do.

Thank you to everyone who attended, donated, shared their story or supported the 2026 Champions of the Heart Gala. Together, we’re putting more lifesaving knowledge and equipment into the hands of the people who may need it most.

Be a Champion. Save a Heart.