SILVERTON — Thanks to a donation from an alumnus, Sather Field is now a safer place for athletes to compete. 

Wallace School District Superintendent Todd Howard announced Tuesday that a new automated external defibrillator was installed at Sather Field, funded by Terry Clem, a member of Wallace High School’s Class of 1960. 

“Back in July, I was contacted by Terry. He indicated that if the district were in need, he and his wife would like to donate an AED device to the WSD,” Howard said. “After discussing the idea with our district leadership team and safety coordinator, we determined that there was a need at Sather Field.” 

AEDs analyze heart rhythms and deliver life-saving shocks, enabling rapid response even by non-medical personnel during sudden cardiac arrest. Having an AED on high school football fields can increase survival rates by up to 70%, especially when used within the first few minutes of collapse. The cost of an AED typically ranges from $1,200 to $2,500, depending on the model and features. 

In 2023, the most recent year with complete data, there were 385 reported instances of sudden cardiac arrest in high school athletes, up roughly 100 from the previous years’ average. Experts believe the increase reflects improved recognition and reporting by school staff and emergency responders. 

Over the past decade, football players have accounted for 30% of all sudden cardiac arrest events among high school athletes. 

Clem spent 36 years working for Physio-Control, a leading manufacturer of medical devices, including external defibrillators. With this latest donation, the Clems have now gifted eight AEDs to public and private schools.

“We are incredibly grateful to Terry and Karen Clem for their ongoing generosity and for providing our students, staff and community members with access to this essential emergency equipment,” Wallace School District officials said in a statement. “This donation could one day save a life, and there is no greater gift than that.” 

The district now has AEDs at all its facilities.

“The Wallace School District encourages community members to become familiar with the location and use of AED devices, which are designed to be simple to operate in moments of crisis,” Howard said. “With the new AED at Sather Field, the district is better equipped than ever to respond swiftly in emergency situations, thanks to the kindness and vision of two individuals who continue to choose to give back to communities.” 

The new device will be housed inside the fieldhouse at Sather Field, where the concessions and locker rooms are located.