In recognition of Black History Month and Heart Month, the Rams and Edwards Lifesciences teamed up to get heart and heart valve disease Off The Sidelines and raise awareness by hosting a free heart screening for more than 60 community members in Inglewood, the home of SoFi Stadium where the Rams play their home games.
The free screenings took place at Faithful Central Bible Church, church home of Rams Legend Joe Sweet. Sweet had a personal connection to the event as he, his wife and their daughter, Ariel, are the co-founders of the Aliah Sweet Fragile Hearts Foundation. His son, Aliah, had a disability and a long-term illness and he passed away at nine and a half years old. The Aliah Sweet Fragile Hearts Foundation grants wishes and provides support for siblings of children with severe, multiple, life-threatening disabilities. In December 2023, Sweet and his wife joined other Rams Legends to participate in a heart health educational session and screening hosted by the Rams and Edwards Lifesciences at Dymally High School in Watts.
Faithful Central Bible Church pastor, George Thompson, shared the event's goal of "helping lives and saving lives" directly aligns with the churches overall mission. He emphasized the importance of early detection and being prepared when it comes to heart health.
In recognition of Black History Month and Heart Month, the Rams and Edwards Lifesciences teamed up to get heart and heart valve disease Off The Sidelines and raise awareness by hosting a free heart screening for more than 60 community members in Inglewood.
The event featured two heart health informational sessions led by Black cardiologists and screenings including blood pressure, electrocardiogram (EKG) and echocardiograms.
Rams senior manager of partnership management, Bianca Graves, said the day was about "encouraging folks to learn about heart health [and] putting them in front of Black cardiologists through education and resources."
Hosting the event at Faithful Central Bible Church was intentional to encourage Black wellness and be present in the community that shows up to support the Rams. Graves added that seeing Black cardiologists and pastors tied into the effort as it "showed that the possibilities are endless in the Black community."
The event also highlighted the legacy of Kenny Washington, LA-native and UCLA standout who was the first Black player to be signed by an NFL team in the modern era ending a 12-year ban on Black players in the league. Washington died of heart and lung problems at the young age of 52. Connecting his legacy with Edwards Lifesciences helped to spread awareness on the importance of heart health screening while amplifying his impact.
"We have four pillars here at this church, discipleship, families, community engagement and outreach. This [event] is all four," said Thompson.
Edwards Lifesciences is the global leader of patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring. Edwards is driven by a passion for patients, dedicated to improving and enhancing lives through partnerships with clinicians and stakeholders across the global healthcare landscape. Edwards is the official sponsor of the Rams Legends Community to raise awareness of heart valve disease and make screening for heart valve failure part of the game plan for everyone 65 and older.
For more information about the Rams' community outreach efforts, visit www.therams.com/community.
