WALLINGFORD -- Former SCSU men's basketball coach Michael Papale, was on the verge of reaching his ultimate dream: playing college basketball.
He went into cardiac arrest when he was just 17-years-old in 2006. Since then, he has taken that near-death experience and used it as an outlet to raise awareness.
In 2015, Papale started his own non-profit foundation called "In A Heartbeat." Their mission is to prevent death from sudden cardiac arrest and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. The foundation buys and then donates Automated External Defibrillators. They also raise money for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy research.
In a Heartbeat held its second annual golf tournament at the Wallingford Country Club on Monday to help raise funds for the cause.
You can learn more here.