Rec Center to Get New AED Honoring Local Student

ROCHELLE — The Flagg Rochelle Park District will add another automated external defibrillator to the Rec Center, giving the fieldhouse a unit at each end. The device, donated by S.C.A.R.F., will include a plaque honoring Alivia Henkel, who suffered a serious medical emergency at Rochelle Township High School in February 2024. S.C.A.R.F., which stands for Sudden Cardiac Arrest Rescue Foundation, is a Sycamore-based nonprofit that works to prevent sudden cardiac death by providing education, training, and AEDs to public spaces, as well as direct care for patients with heart disease. Park District Risk Superintendent Brent Boardman said the AED will be picked up soon and installed within the next few weeks.