Free Heart Screening Event for Youth in West Palm Beach in Honor of American Heart Month

One in 300 youth has a detectable heart condition, and 80% of youth have no symptoms prior to a sudden cardiac arrest. In honor of American Heart Month, GOLDLAW is teaming up with Who We Play For to host a free heart screening event for children and young adults ages 10 to 25 at the Westgate Parks and Recreation Center in West Palm Beach on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The community event aims to screen hundreds of young people and emphasizes that “anyone can save a life” through education and awareness. Craig M. Goldenfarb, Esq., CEO and founder of GOLDLAW and Stacy Cartechine, a heart screening director from Who We Play For, will be in attendance to educate and engage with attendees.

Who We Play For is a nonprofit dedicated to eliminating preventable sudden cardiac death in the young through providing affordable heart screenings and advocacy. The organization received a grant from the Florida Department of Health, which allows the event to be free for the local community.

During the event, team members from Who We Play For will be on site to administer electrocardiogram (ECG) screenings, which take approximately five minutes each. Paramedics from Palm Beach County Fire Rescue will educate families on CPR and AEDs and will bring trucks to demonstrate how EKG equipment is used. The event will also feature CPR/AED trainers from Every Second Counts CPR. Pre-registration is encouraged. Consent forms will be available for walk-ins.

This event is part of GOLDLAW’s commitment to support the local community through ongoing initiatives. GOLDLAW will also donate an AED for a raffle.

Attendees will enjoy free sweet treats from GOLDLAW’s Sweet Justice Ice Cream Truck. The Sweet Justice ice cream truck is a symbol of GOLDLAW’s commitment to giving back to the community it has proudly served for over 20 years. Serving those who serve the community, the Sweet Justice truck delivers an assortment of free ice cream to South Florida residents and heroes from Palm Beach County up the Treasure Coast to the Port St. Lucie area.

In 2025, Craig Goldenfarb donated a lifesaving AED to the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society, and GOLDLAW donated 1,700 backpacks filled with essential school supplies to local families.

“Heart health screenings can be the difference between life and death for young people. GOLDLAW is happy to continue to support our local community by teaming up with Who We Play For and bringing together our community partners to provide free screenings and educate families on how to save lives. Anyone can be a hero when they know CPR and how to use an AED. This event during American Heart Month is about protecting our youth and empowering our community with life-saving knowledge,” said Craig M. Goldenfarb, Esq., CEO and founder of GOLDLAW.

“Since losing my son Alex to Sudden Cardiac Arrest at 21 years old, I know how critical it is to get your child an ECG heart screening whether they play a sport or not. My son did not play sports, but he died from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. ALL youth need to have an electrocardiogram. The stethoscope alone is not enough and misses about 90% of potentially deadly heart conditions,” said Stacy Cartechine, WWPF Heart Screening Director & Mother of Sudden Cardiac Death victim.

“When my 16-year-old daughter Lexi survived sudden cardiac arrest in 2016, we were given a gift. 23,000 American kids per year experience SCA. My kid got to live because she was in the right place at the right time. A gift that 90% of victims don’t get. They die. The new law requiring ECGs is about the prevention of a cardiac event, not having to be lucky enough to go down in a right place-right time environment. The SCA survival rate has not changed in 30 years – just 10%! The Second Chance Act is more than a law – it’s hope in action, and we are proud to be a part of it,” said Shawn Sima, WWPF Impact Director & Father of SCA Survivor.

The event is made possible through the generous support of Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation, which will donate the use of the facility, as well as Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and Every Second Counts CPR, which will donate their time to help teach CPR.