Source: Advocates for Early Defibrillation
Golfers of all ages come to the Bob Johnson Legacy Driving Range in Lady Lake, Florida to fine-tune their swings. Now the range offers something more: peace of mind. A lifesaving AED is mounted on the range’s ball shack in a SaveHeart by HeartNation Wall-Mount, available around the clock should an emergency ever happen.
On March 27, 2026, the Lions Club of Orange Blossom Gardens/Lady Lake, American Legion Post 347 and Advocates for Early Defibrillation dedicated the new AED and cabinet. The Lions purchased both with community-raised funds, and the range is operated jointly by the Lions and American Legion Post 347. Members of the community and local officials, including Lake County Fire Chief John Simpson, joined the partners to celebrate.
“This installation represents the power of partnership for the benefit of the community. By placing an AED at the driving range, we are adding a critical layer of safety for our golfers, guests, and volunteers.” - Rich Salvini, Lions Club of Orange Blossom Gardens/Lady Lake
One of the First of Its Kind in the Region
The partners called it the region’s first heated, ventilated and monitored AED cabinet. The SaveHeart Wall-Mount is an all-weather, made-in-the-USA cabinet that keeps the AED at a safe temperature year-round, sounds an alarm when the door is opened, and is smart monitored so its readiness is always known.
Its back-lit top makes it easy to spot from anywhere on the range, and the front panel proudly carries the emblems of the Lions Club and American Legion Post 347 that made it possible.
“The cabinet was sold by SaveHeart,” the partners wrote in their dedication announcement, thanking SaveHeart by HeartNation for its support throughout the process of purchasing and installing the AED and cabinet.
Advocates Making a Difference
Advocates for Early Defibrillation, led by president Kevin Knussman, has been spreading the word about public access defibrillation to Lions Clubs and community groups across the region. Knussman, a past guest on the SaveHeart Stories podcast, also helped his own neighborhood of Colerain Circle in The Villages raise funds and install two SaveHeart by HeartNation cabinets, listed in PulsePoint so they are accessible to anyone who needs them.
The work has not gone unnoticed. The Villages Daily Sun featured the Lions Club of Orange Blossom Gardens/Lady Lake, American Legion Post 347 and Advocates for Early Defibrillation for their efforts.
More to Come in Lady Lake
The driving range was just the beginning. In August, the Town of Lady Lake Parks and Recreation began installing a second SaveHeart by HeartNation cabinet at the Rolling Road Park facilities, made possible by the Lions Club of Orange Blossom Gardens/Lady Lake, Advocates for Early Defibrillation, SaveHeart by HeartNation and the Town of Lady Lake Parks and Recreation.
“AEDs save lives and everyone can save a life!” Advocates for Early Defibrillation wrote in sharing the news, reminding residents to look for the closest AED as they visit parks, businesses, faith organizations and schools.
At SaveHeart by HeartNation, we’re grateful to the Lions Club of Orange Blossom Gardens/Lady Lake, American Legion Post 347 and Advocates for Early Defibrillation for their partnership and leadership, and to everyone in Lady Lake who helped make this happen. We hope the AED on the range never has to be used, but if it does, it will be right there, ready to help save a life. Grip it and rip it, Lady Lake!