Addison Trail student named Grand Prize Winner of Young Hearts for Life video contest

Addison Trail student Cristal Moreno Aguilar, class of 2021 (pictured above, at center), is recognized as the Grand Prize Winner of the Young Hearts for Life® (YH4L) Cardiac Screening Program video contest. She was honored on June 3 by YH4L Founder and Medical Director Dr. Joseph C. Marek, YH4L Community Advisory Committee member Kathy Marek, YH4L Program Coordinator Denise Arenz, Addison Trail Physical Education/Health/Driver Education Department Head Rob Schader and members of the Bender family, who support the video contest on behalf of the Kathryn Bender Memorial Foundation, which was established in honor of Kathryn Mary Bender.

Pictured is Addison Trail student Cristal Moreno Aguilar, class of 2021, who was recognized on June 3 as the Grand Prize Winner of the Young Hearts for Life® (YH4L) Cardiac Screening Program video contest.

When Addison Trail student Cristal Moreno Aguilar (class of 2021) learned about the opportunity to create a video for the Young Hearts for Life® (YH4L) Cardiac Screening Program, she was excited to participate in the competition and showcase her creativity.

YH4L provides students with free electrocardiograms to identify those at risk for heart conditions, and Addison Trail partnered with the organization again this past February. As part of the program, students are invited to submit entries for a video contest that focuses on sudden cardiac death and how YH4L helps prevent that health condition. The contest is supported by the Kathryn Bender Memorial Foundation, which was established in honor of Kathryn Mary Bender, a 17-year-old who passed away suddenly in 2005 from an undetected cardiac condition called Long QT Syndrome. The goal of the videos is to empower students to encourage their peers to take advantage of receiving an electrocardiogram.

Out of 34 entries, Moreno Aguilar was named as this year’s Grand Prize Winner. She will receive $500, and her video will be featured on the YH4L website and social media. Moreno Aguilar was recognized on June 3 by members of the Bender family, YH4L Founder and Medical Director Dr. Joseph C. Marek, YH4L Community Advisory Committee member Kathy Marek, YH4L Program Coordinator Denise Arenz and Addison Trail Physical Education/Health/Driver Education Department Head Rob Schader. Because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the event was hosted virtually.

Moreno Aguilar said she looked at past winning entries and quickly realized she wanted to do something a little different. She wrote a rap song to share details about YH4L, with photos and video clips of the cardiac screening process and Addison Trail student-athletes in the background. The Bender family said it was an easy choice to select Moreno Aguilar’s video as this year’s winner, as it was filled with powerful statistics and important information in an original and entertaining format. See her video above.

For more information about the program, go to www.yh4l.org.