More than 1,800 people participated in the first annual Breanna Vergara 5K on December 13 at Miami Lakes Picnic Park West commemorating the life of resident and avid dancer Breanna Vergara, 11, who fell unexpectedly to sudden cardiac arrest last year.
Miami Lakes elected officials and their families participated in the run and presented the Vergara family with a proclamation proclaiming December 13 as Breanna Vergara Day.
With proceeds from the run, the Breanna Vergara Foundation presented Niklaus Children’s Hospital with a check for $25,000. Following Breanna’s death, the hospital continued offering free pediatric EKG screenings which have already helped to identify children at risk for sudden cardiac arrest.
The Foundation has donated a total of four automatic external defibrillators (AED) including one that was donated to Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Church and School at the 5K run. The Foundation has worked tirelessly promoting its mission to promote a healthy, happy, and passionate lifestyle by offering opportunities for children to participate in extracurricular activities while also creating awareness of heart screenings in an effort to identify kids at risk of sudden cardiac arrest.