By David Fleet
dfleet@mihomepaper.com
Fennville — Rivalry games can often take on a variety of meanings.
Such was the matchup between west Michigan rivals Saugatuck vs. Fennville on Saturday night.
On Feb. 1, the Saugatuck Lady Trailblazers defeated the Fennville Blackhawks 56-33 in the first game and then the Blackhawk Boys Varsity basketball team defeated the Trailblazers 64-38 in the nightcap.
The games honored Fennville High School Junior Wes Leonard who passed away unexpectedly on March 3, 2011 on the basketball court after making the game-winning shot against Bridgman High School to complete a 20-0 season. The Never Forgotten games have been played each season since 2012.
The rivalry game remains somewhat secondary to the main focus of the night, which was the donation of 16 AEDs to schools and other sports organizations throughout the state of Michigan by the Wes Leonard Heart Team. On Saturday Goodrich School District was one of the recipients.
“The organization, led by Wes’s mother and his former coach, was present, and I had the privilege of meeting them,” said Mike Baszler, Goodrich School District superintendent. “Goodrich is honored to be selected as one of the recipients and grateful to Wes’s mom, family, former coach, and Fennville Community for the donation to an AED for our school.”
Doctors determined that Leonard suffered from sudden cardiac arrest, one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. and over 350,000 people will suffer from sudden cardiac arrest this year. An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is the only effective treatment for restoring a regular heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest and is an easy-to-operate tool for someone with no medical background.
“There’s still a need out there for the AEDs,” said Ryan Klingler, director of the Wes Leonard Heart Team. “As we gain funds we give out AEDs.”
Klingler said that soon after Wes’ death, which drew national attention, funds were donated. The foundation has donated over 600 AEDs in the past 14 years and helped find homes for another 200 or so with the assistance of various hospitals and medical groups.
“The ceremony was incredibly moving, and while many schools were unable to attend to receive their donated AED, I wanted to ensure we were represented,” said Baszler.
In April 2024, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed two bipartisan bills that will better protect student athletes during practice and competition by ensuring all high school coaches maintain valid certification for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of automated external defibrillators (AED). The legislation also guarantees schools have a cardiac emergency response plan in place to quickly react in the event that a student athlete experiences a cardiac issue.