MOSES LAKE - Kiwanis President Francis Irwin knows AEDs save lives. As a retired nurse, she said it's not a matter of if, but when an AED could be needed.

Thanks to the Moses Lake Rotary and Kiwanis chapters, and support from the community, 27 automated external defibrillators were donated to the Moses Lake School District, made official during a presentation at the last school board meeting.

About $36,000 was raised by the two organizations through charity events including a golf tournament and auction, as well as donations from organization members and matching funds from the Rotary Foundation and the Kiwanis International Foundation. Enough funds were raised to provide a defibrillator in every school in the school district, including the transportation program and skills center.

"This project is a great example of how two different service organizations can work together and become greater than the sum of their parts," Rotarian Dave Campbell said, adding the project was even overfunded, allowing for additional defibrillator units to be purchased.

Irwin shared stories Thursday of people she knows whose lives were saved by an AED.

"This was a huge dream for me," Irwin said. "This is not a feel good thing, this is a real thing. Those buildings are used seven days a week and you never know when something might happen."

Ryan Schaefer, of Project Adam in Spokane, said the rate of survival for someone who suffers sudden cardiac arrest is just 10 percent when only CPR is administered. The rate of survival jumps to nearly 50 percent with the use of a defibrillator.

Project Adam, a non-profit organization that promotes placing defibrillators in schools, was created by Patty and Joe Lemel in memory of their 17-year-old son Adam, who died suddenly of heart arrhythmia while playing basketball. His life could have been saved had their been a defibrillator available.

School employees will be trained to use the defibrillators thanks to the Moses Lake Fire Department, who will donate time to provide the training.

"We are really thankful for the Moses Lake Fire Department for stepping up to the plate to say that they will help the district for CPR and to use the AEDs," Irwin said. "One of the scariest things would be to have an AED sitting in the hallway and somebody not know how to use it."

Dave Balcom, of the school district, said training is scheduled to begin in late October as the defibrillators are continuing to be installed.

The school board officially accepted the donation with a unanimous vote Thursday.

"This is an exciting evening for the Moses Lake community and the Moses Lake School District," Board President Kevin Donovan said. "It really exemplifies the collaboration and the work that's done between our schools and our community."