Our Impact
Our Impact
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At Always 65, every event, partnership, screening, awareness campaign, and community initiative is part of one mission: Protect the Next Heartbeat.
At Always 65, every event, partnership, screening, awareness campaign, and community initiative is part of one mission: Protect the Next Heartbeat.
What began with our annual “EKGs for Eli” heart screening event at Windsor High School has grown into a broader commitment to educating families, supporting young athletes, expanding access to preventative cardiac screenings, promoting CPR and AED awareness, and bringing lifesaving resources into the communities we serve.
What began with our annual “EKGs for Eli” heart screening event at Windsor High School has grown into a broader commitment to educating families, supporting young athletes, expanding access to preventative cardiac screenings, promoting CPR and AED awareness, and bringing lifesaving resources into the communities we serve.
Through partnerships with organizations such as In A Heartbeat, schools, athletic programs, local businesses, healthcare professionals, and community leaders, Always 65 continues to turn Eli’s legacy into action.
Through partnerships with organizations such as In A Heartbeat, schools, athletic programs, local businesses, healthcare professionals, and community leaders, Always 65 continues to turn Eli’s legacy into action.
This page highlights the impact we’ve made, the events that have brought our community together, and the work still ahead. From past screenings and awareness events to upcoming programs, AED donations, community outreach, and future partnerships, each step moves us closer to a future where more families are informed, more hearts are protected, and more lives have the opportunity to be saved.
This page highlights the impact we’ve made, the events that have brought our community together, and the work still ahead. From past screenings and awareness events to upcoming programs, AED donations, community outreach, and future partnerships, each step moves us closer to a future where more families are informed, more hearts are protected, and more lives have the opportunity to be saved.
We cannot change Eli’s story—but together, we can help change the next one.
We cannot change Eli’s story—but together, we can help change the next one.
Defibtech Eli DunkinPark FINAL 260827b - 2432x1152 60p.mp4Eli’s Story. A Mission to Protect the Next Heartbeat.
Eli’s Story. A Mission to Protect the Next Heartbeat.
In this special feature produced by Defibtech, Always 65 Foundation Founder and President Jay Rivera shares the story of his son, Elijah-Jay “Eli” Rivera, and how an unimaginable loss became a mission to help protect other children, athletes, families, and communities from sudden cardiac arrest.
The video highlights the heart behind Always 65, the importance of early cardiac screening and AED preparedness, and the partnerships helping turn awareness into action.
Through collaboration with Defibtech, In A Heartbeat, and the Hartford Yard Goats, four AEDs were donated to Dunkin’ Park in Hartford, Connecticut, helping strengthen emergency preparedness at a place where thousands of people gather each year.
Eli wore #65, and today that number represents something much bigger:
Forever 15. Always 65.
Protect the Next Heartbeat.
A Note to Our Visitors
A Note to Our Visitors
Thank you for taking a few minutes to watch this video and learn more about Eli and the mission behind Always 65.
For our family, this work is deeply personal. We cannot change what happened to Eli, but we can use his story to educate others, encourage cardiac screening, increase access to AEDs and CPR training, and help communities become better prepared for sudden cardiac arrest.
We are incredibly grateful to Defibtech for thoughtfully sharing Eli’s story and supporting this mission, to In A Heartbeat for their continued partnership, and to the Hartford Yard Goats for welcoming Always 65 into their community.
Every screening, every AED, every person trained, and every conversation about sudden cardiac arrest has the potential to save a life.
Eli’s story does not end with what happened to him.
His legacy continues through every heartbeat we help protect.
❤️ Forever 15. Always 65.
⚡ Protect the Next Heartbeat.
Turning Tragedy Into Change
How Eli's story is helping drive awareness, advocacy, and lifesaving action across Connecticut.
In 2026, the State of Connecticut approved funding to support the purchase, installation, and maintenance of AEDs in schools and public buildings. During this interview, Always 65 Foundation founder Jay Rivera shares Eli's story, discusses the importance of cardiac emergency preparedness, and explains why awareness, training, and early detection remain critical in protecting young athletes. This work represents an important step forward—but our mission continues until every child has access to the protections they deserve.
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