ROANOKE, Va. – More than 50 Miss Virginia Competition delegates will learn how to save a life during a special CPR training session on Tuesday afternoon.
The training is part of the 2026 Miss Virginia Competition week and will take place in the Pocahontas Room at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. The session is scheduled for 2 p.m. for Miss Virginia delegates and 3 p.m. for Miss Virginia Teen delegates.
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“Since heart disease is the number one cause of death for women, this is a cause that’s very near and dear to our hearts,” said Mark Schreier, co-executive director for Miss Virginia Opportunity, Inc. “Education is the best form of prevention. Our titleholders are learning very important life-changing skills by volunteering for the American Heart Association, raising money for research and learning CPR skills, too. We’re proud to be part of this important mission that has such a direct impact on so many people.”
An all-female team of trainers from Carilion Clinic will lead the demonstrations using the American Heart Association’s resuscitation quality improvement carts.
“It’s not just knowing how to do CPR that is important; it’s having the confidence to step in and deliver compressions when needed,” said Jacqueline DeMarco, Ed.D., director of HR Education and Organizational Development for Carilion Clinic. “Carilion’s collaboration with the American Heart Association’s RQI program brings high-quality technology designed to build learners’ skills and confidence with CPR.”
According to the American Heart Association, more than 350,000 Americans experience cardiac arrests outside the hospital each year. However, when someone nearby acts quickly in a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival can double or even triple.
Miss America’s Scholarship Foundation actively supports the Go Red for Women movement by promoting awareness of cardiovascular disease as the No. 1 killer of women, educating Miss America’s participants at all levels, and raising funds to support research and treatment.
To learn more about CPR, visit cpr.heart.org