By Gari Voss
The Wes Leonard Heart Team came to birth from the tragedy of Wes Leonard collapsing after making the game winning shot for the Fennville High School basketball team. No one knew exactly what to do and attempts to revive him were met with failure.
Using a team approach in response to this tragedy, the Wes Leonard Heart Team became committed to honoring Wes’ memory while helping other organizations have the ability to rapidly respond to Sudden Cardiac Arrest so other families would not feel the pain of losing a loved one.
Friends and staff referred to Wes as the Michael Jordan of Fennville. The Fennville High School football and basketball teams flourished because of what Wes brought to every game. Off the court and field, Wes was loved and respected as an athlete and a quality person. Young to old migrated to him at social gatherings.
When Wes collapsed and passed, the community of Fennville went into depression. When the dust settled, the decision was made to keep Wes’ memory alive. The vacuum left by Wes was filled with the belief that if only an AED was available, Wes may still be with them.
“Every year Fennville plays Saugatuck in the Never Forgotten Game,” explained Jamie Walle, principal/superintendent of Glenn Public School. “It is during this game that the team gives AEDs to organizations.”
This year Glenn Public School will be a recipient of an AED. “We completed the organization’s online application,” added Walle. “We learned that we were invited to the game on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 6:30pm to receive the AED, and we hope others will come to enjoy the game and gift.”
Walle shared this information with her staff, parents and students along with others in their community. Receiving the AED will be special, and everyone will be encouraged to learn how to use it.
It is stated that, “Wes had a positive impact on more people in his short 16 years than most people have in a lifetime. He lived what most consider a perfect 16 years with little or no regrets. This may be why he had such a profound influence on those who knew him and even now continues to impact others.”
Walle and other recipients of AEDs truly hope they will never to use their machine, but having one on hand gives a new hope that a tragedy can have a quick response to save a life.
The Wes Leonard Heart Team does accept donations to assist in accomplishing their mission to prevent the loss of a life to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Check in at https://wesleonardheartteam.org/ to support the cause.
