Carlow University honors first responders on Tuesday, February 6, between basketball games with Point Park University. Celtics Coach Tim Keefer owes his life to first responders.
| Marketing and Communications | For Immediate Release |
| Drew Wilson, Director, Media Relations | February 02, 2018 |
| 412.578.2095 (phone) | |
| 412.260.6807 (cell) | |
| 412.578.2080 (fax) | |
| agwilson@carlow.edu |
Carlow’s Men’s Head Coach Wouldn’t Be Alive Without First Responders
“I am an example of a successful first response. I was dead for four minutes. I had no pulse.” – Coach Keefer
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Tim Keefer, Carlow University’s men’s basketball head coach, owes his life to first responders, and on Tuesday, February 6, he’ll say thank you again.
That night, Carlow University will host a “First Responders’ Game” against its crosstown rivals, Point Park University, at Oakland Catholic High School’s Donahue Pavilion. The women’s game tips off at 6 p.m., followed by the men’s contest at 8 p.m. The first responders in attendance will be recognized during a ceremony between games.
Keefer is just happy to have the opportunity to honor the first responders. He almost didn’t get the opportunity.
“I am an example of a successful first response,” said Keefer. “I was dead for four minutes. I had no pulse.” He collapsed from a heart attack on August 11, 2012, just a few hundred yards from the finish line, while running the Brookline Breeze, a 5K race in the Brookline neighborhood of Pittsburgh. That’s when two men, who had finished the race already, came to his aid and gave him CPR until the paramedics arrived.
“They didn’t quit on me,” he said. “The one who was giving me chest compressions was exhausted, but he kept going.” Over the years, Keefer has recognized the two men numerous times with cards and gift cards, and he still gets emotional thinking about it. On Tuesday, he will do so again by thanking all first responders.
“The role of the first responder is an important and critical one,” he said. “We need to remember that and thank them for their service.”
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Editor’s Note: The news media is welcome to cover the events of Carlow University’s First Responders Night.” Please contact Drew Wilson on his cell phone (412) 260-6807 to arrange interviews and convenient parking.
About Carlow University
Carlow is a private, co-educational, Catholic university located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s “Eds, Meds, and Tech” district. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy, Carlow’s graduates, curricula, and partnerships reflect its strong commitment to social justice; ethical, forward-thinking and responsible leadership; and service to the community that has a meaningful impact. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in three colleges: Health and Wellness, Leadership and Social Change, and Learning and Innovation. Carlow graduates are in demand for their professional expertise, in fields ranging from nursing, the sciences, and perfusion technology to counseling, education, and forensic accounting; their entrepreneurial spirit and creative mindset; and their ability to manage change. Carlow’s 13 athletic teams are known as the Celtics, a reflection of the university’s Irish heritage and roots.