Latest news with #Roanoke-based
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Compress and Shock Foundation offers free CPR and AED usage training during CPR awareness week
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — As a part of national CPR awareness week, several local healthcare systems partnered with the Roanoke-based Compress and Shock Foundation to host free educational opportunities to equip the public with the skills to save a life. LewisGale Regional Health System partnered with the foundation to host a class at First Baptist Church in Roanoke that taught around 40 participants. 'Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time,' said Jennifer Herriot-Trejo, director of Hispanic outreach for the Compress and Shock Foundation. 'It does not discriminate based on age, race, anything.' Several volunteers, including a few LewisGale nurses, helped to lead small-group training sessions, where participants were able to practice the skills they had been taught. 'I've always had a passion for cardiac patients and it's great to be able to bring this to the community and teach the community how to save lives and make a difference in someone's life one person at a time,' said LewisGale nurse Heather Snyder. The Compress and Shock Foundation offers free CPR and AED usage training, and as part of their 'education day,' on Saturday, they were active across Virginia and around the country alongside regional health partners. Compress & Shock Foundation hosting health fair on CPR and AED awareness LewisGale's parent company, HCA Healthcare, has invested $40,000 into Compress and Shock, which has allowed the foundation to increase the accessibility of AEDs. After Saturday's class in Roanoke, the partnership between Compress and Shock and HCA Healthcare had provided 15 AEDs to a number of communities, with hopes of supplying 10 more by the end of 2025. '[AEDs] need to be in schools, they need to be in churches, they need to be in sports clubs,' said Herriot-Trejo. 'They need to be accessible so that people are prepared for when something happens. It's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when.' Saturday's class was taught bilingually, another component of Compress and Shock's mission to make the knowledge and skills to save a life accessible by all members of the community. According to Herriot-Trejo, non-English speakers often miss out on learning the critical information because of the language barrier. 'We just want to meet people where they are and get things into the languages that they understand,' said Herriot-Trejo. 'So that if they do need to activate their emergency response systems, they're going to feel adequately prepared because they've received that knowledge in their language.' Compress and Shock also partnered with Carilion Clinic to host an education day in Christiansburg. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Noke Van Co close to resuming some operations one month after fire
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — When Roanoke-based adventure van company Noke Van Co lost its building to a fire in early April, that could have been the end. But even in the days that followed the blaze, owners Keri and Justin VanBlaricom say quitting was never an option. 'In the Monday morning meeting after the fire, I was like, 'No one lost their job,'' said Justin VanBlaricom, who also acts as CEO of the company. ''I'll do whatever it takes to keep everybody because they're all a part of the family.'' The team quickly identified a new building, just around 100 yards away from the original location, still in Riverdale industrial park. 'Because of the building we were in, we were able to grow into who we are, and that was a huge blessing to us,' said Justin VanBlaricom. 'We felt very firmly after this that we wanted to stay in Riverdale, we wanted to be here. We wanted to be in the city of Roanoke.' Roanoke residents speak out at public hearings about budget, meals tax, and more Now, just a month after the fire, Noke Van Co is hoping to restart at least a portion of its operations by the end of this week, as they continue to renovate the new space. The reboot for Noke Van Co 2.0, as the team is calling it, will begin with resuming the rental van program and unveiling the new service and upgrade bay. 'We're 23 business days out of the fire and having a turnaround like that, from losing everything to being back in business within 30 business days, it's pretty remarkable,' said Justin VanBlaricom. The owners say they have the community to thank for the speed of this resurgence. A GoFundMe started shortly after the fire has raised nearly $50,000, which has helped the company keep its 20-person staff on hand. They have also received help from a number of local businesses, who have put on fundraisers in addition to providing meals and meeting spaces for the team. Noke Van Co plans to honor that community support with a wall that separates the two main sections of the new building. 'That wall is just going to be logos of people and companies that have helped us because there's just too many to name,' said Justin VanBlaricom. 'We want to see that every day and know what got us to the point of being able to get back open.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Roanoke's Carilion Taubman Cancer Center breaks ground
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – On April 30, Carilion Clinic started construction with an early morning ceremony on the Carilion Taubman Cancer Center. Carilion officials said the new cutting-edge facility will operate as the new central hub for multidisciplinary care, research, patient therapies, and whole-person care. (Photo Credit: RMBB, Carter Machinery, Boxley Ready-Mix, and EC Pace) 'As Carilion Clinic leads the vision for advancing cancer care close to home, its design and building partners are helping bring the vision to life and doing so with purpose.' On Wednesday, representatives with RMBB, Roanoke-based EC Pace, Boxley Ready-Mix, and Carter Machinery were on site symbolizing a shared vision for 'a place where healing begins, and hope is tangible.' Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital enhances security measures RMBB's newly launched #BuildingACure initiative, an 'unmistakable' pink excavator painted by Carter Machinery and provided by EC Pace, and a pink concrete truck supplied by Boxley Ready Mix showcased the bold project mission. (Photo Credit: RMBB, Carter Machinery, Boxley Ready-Mix, and EC Pace) 'We're proud to partner with Carilion Clinic on this monumental project and to launch our #BuildingACure initiative here in Roanoke,' said Garrett Kastner, Project Manager with RMBB. 'The pink equipment stands not just as a construction tool, but also as a recognized symbol of strength and survivorship for patients and their families.' Designed as a 'symbol of hope and support for the cancer patient and survivor community,' by the RMBB and EC Pace construction team, the idea for the pink equipment shows commitment and meaning to the project and was immediately adopted by Carter Machinery. Mark Pace of EC Pace spoke about the 'importance of visibility and connection in every step of the process.' 'Breaking ground isn't just a technical milestone, it's a community moment,' said Mark Pace, President of EC Pace. 'As local partners, we're honored to contribute to something that will serve our neighbors for generations. Every machine and crew on this site are part of something bigger than the build.' (Photo Credit: RMBB, Carter Machinery, Boxley Ready-Mix, and EC Pace) Ab Boxley, Owner of Boxley Ready-Mix, said, 'We're proud to help establish the foundation, both literal and symbolic, for what will be a beacon of care and innovation,' said Boxley. 'It's an honor to stand beside Carilion and fellow contractors in support of something that matters deeply to our entire region.' 'At Carter Machinery, we believe the work we do should mean something. Seeing our equipment as part of the pink fleet symbolizing strength and healing reminds us why our work matters,' said Drew Parker, CEO at Carter Machinery. 'It's powerful to be part of a build that will touch lives for decades to come.' The Carilion Taubman Cancer Center is expected to open in fall 2027. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
