News

Dear Fellow Americans

  Dear Fellow Americans, Just days after the 2001 terrorist attacks I wrote down three words, “ATHLETES FOR AMERICA”. Athletes For America (AFA) was formed shortly thereafter as a 501(c)(3) and remains reputable and in good standing as we enter 2023. Since our formation, and with the support of a … Continue reading →




AFA 2017… ALL HEROES WELCOME!

For over fifteen years, AFA has traveled our great country working with incredible men and women in all types of emergency situations. When our journey began shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, our focus was on educating athletes about emergency preparedness. In 2010, AFA refocused its educational platform … Continue reading →




ATHLETES FOR AMERICA, 14 years after the Day that Changed America Forever….

It was the Pearl Harbour that our fathers and mothers talked to us about. “A Day that would live in Infamy” But in fact 9-11 was much more than that fateful December 7th day which happened more than 70 years ago. September 11, 2001 was “The Day” that changed America … Continue reading →




13th Anniversary for ATHLETES FOR AMERICA

September 20, 2014 – Today marks the 13th anniversary of the Founding of ATHLETES FOR AMERICA. Just seven days after the September 11th terrorist attacks, I solemnly sat down and wrote these three words. Little did I know then that those three words would rise from the ashes of the … Continue reading →




Predators, ATHLETES FOR AMERICA and Orlando Fire Department Team-up For Successful CPR and AED Certification

March 11, 2014 ORLANDO, FL – The Orlando Predators became the first professional Arena Football League team in America to become trained and certified in the critical skills of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The training was facilitated by the Orlando Fire Department … Continue reading →




HONORING 9-11 WITH A NETWORK OF FIRST RESPONDER ATHLETES

ATHLETES FOR AMERICA, Sunshine Toyota, First Wesleyan Church, PrideCare Ambulance, ZOLL, Pocket CPR, Battle Creek Central High School, Harper Creek High School, Lake View High School, Marshall High School, Pennfield High School, and Saint Phillip High School team up to create a safer America. On Saturday morning September 15, 2012, … Continue reading →




NFLPA’s Former Players Announce Support for ATHLETES FOR AMERICA

A new partnership with Athletes for America includes educating and training young athletes to handle emergency situations. National charity will train chapters in CPR and other life-saving skills. July 25, 2012 WASHINGTON—The NFL Players Association Former Players pledge full support for Athletes for America (AFA), Andre Collins, NFLPA Director of … Continue reading →




AFA Teams Up with UIFL Florida Tarpons

Florida Tarpons to Become “first” Professional Football Team in America to Take the Field as Trained and Certified First Responders! Scott Chadwick, General Manager for the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) Florida Tarpons announced today at the team’s first press conference that the Florida Tarpons of the UIFL has Teamed-Up … Continue reading →




National Athletic Trainers’ Association

The following information is a guideline you should follow in planning your CPR/AED Training event. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR EVENT Step 1: Decide how many athletes you wish to train. The number of athletes you decide on will determine the amount of equipment and number of instructors needed. See … Continue reading →




AFA Circle of Honor

Captain Matthew A. Griffin becomes AFA’s First Circle of Honor Inductee It is with great honor that we welcome Captain Matthew A. Griffin, United States Air Force Fighter Pilot as our “First Member” into the ATHLETES FOR AMERICA CIRCLE OF HONOR. All individuals that follow Captain Griffin into the CIRCLE … Continue reading →




AFA Training Day – Nashville

AFA Nashville Emergency Preparedness Training Day a Smashing Success! “Imagine a national network of over 1 million made up of professional and amateur athletes certified in emergency preparedness and trained to not only help people in a time of need but actually prepared to save lives! Every day millions of … Continue reading →




AFA Honors 9-11

Honoring 9-11 With A Network of First Responder Athletes ATHLETES FOR AMERICA, Vanderbilt University, and supporting Partners from across middle Tennessee team up to create a safer America. "There is no better way to honor the victims of 9-11, and really all victims of emergencies, then to educate and train … Continue reading →




2011… The Miracle Year in America

A Message from the Founder… As we finally close the door on what I have called the DECADE of FEAR, I am more certain than ever that AFA is Making A Difference in America. Y2K, the September 11 attacks, the never ending War on Terror, Hurricane Katrina, California fires and … Continue reading →




AFA Archives January 2011

January 2011 2011… The Miracle Year in America! November 17, 2010… AFA Founder, Billy McGehee announced today that NHL Hall of Famer, Phil Esposito has agreed to endorse and support the AFA National Emergency Preparedness Initiative. "I am thrilled and honored to have Phil Esposito join our Team as one … Continue reading →




AFA Archives November 2010

November 2010 Hockey Hall of Famer, Phil Esposito to support ATHLETES FOR AMERICA National Emergency Preparedness Initiative! November 17, 2010… AFA Founder, Billy McGehee announced today that NHL Hall of Famer, Phil Esposito has agreed to endorse and support the AFA National Emergency Preparedness Initiative. "I am thrilled and honored … Continue reading →




AFA Archives October 2010

October 2010 ATHLETES FOR AMERICA and UMASS AMHERST Men’s Lacrosse team Team-up to become “FIRST” in United States! On Saturday October 16, 2010 the UMASS AMHERST Men’s Lacrosse team led by Head Coach Greg Cannella became the "FIRST" Division 1 College team in the United States to be certified in … Continue reading →




AFA Archives September 2010

September 2010 CONNECTICUT FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE “TEAM – UP” WITH ATHLETES FOR AMERICA. BECOMES FIRST FOP IN UNITED STATES TO ENDORSE THE AFA NATIONAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INITIATIVE. Danbury, CT – The Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police has become the first FOP in the United States to endorse the ATHLETES … Continue reading →




AFA Archives 2 September 2010

September 2010 AFA Founder Billy McGehee with West Point Head Football Coach Rich Ellerson and General Ray Odierno, former Commander of the United States Military Forces in Iraq at the Battle Monument at West Point on September 10, 2010 to Launch the Athletes For America National Emergency Preparedness Tour. "In … Continue reading →




AFA Archives January 2010

January 2010 AFA Prepares To Launch National Sports Networking Campai ATHLETES FOR AMERICA Founder, Billy McGehee announced today that AFA would accelerate its efforts to negotiate emergency preparedness networking partnerships with Star Athletes, sports teams, leagues, organizations and associations who are interested in becoming part of the AFA national emergency … Continue reading →




AFA Archives August 2009

August 2009 Mike Curran Becomes 1st USPTA Professional Fort Myers, Florida; AFA Founder, Billy McGehee announced today that Mike Curran has become the 1st USPTA Teaching Professional to endorse the AFA National Emergency Preparedness Initiative. “I have a vision for AFA. That vision is to train and network millions of … Continue reading →




AFA Archives July 2009

July 2009 Washington’s Government Agencies Say “NO” To AFA Founder AFA Founder Billy McGehee went to Washington, D.C. this past week hoping to convince program Directors at DHS/FEMA that ATHLETES FOR AMERICA’s National Emergency Preparedness Network, program and Tour would greatly benefit government agencies (that are spending billions of tax … Continue reading →




AFA Archives April 2009

April 2009 AFA Endorsed by Tom Gullikson, Tennis Great and Former United States Davis Cup Captain ATHLETES FOR AMERICA Founder, Billy McGehee announced today that Tom Gullikson will endorse the AFA National Emergency Preparedness program. “I have asked Tom to help integrate our national awareness, educational and Emergency Preparedness training … Continue reading →




AFA Archives January 2009

January 2009 AFA PREPARES TO LAUNCH From Miami to Los Angeles to New York to Washington, D.C. be on the lookout for the AFA “BE PREPARED….NOT SCARED” National Emergency Preparedness Tour Bus. AFA Founder, Billy McGehee will be driving the SPIRIT of AMERICA I Tour Bus visiting over 160 cities … Continue reading →




AFA Archives September 2008

September 2008 Earning a Desk What a humbling lesson to be a reminder to all of us… EARNING A DESK Back in September of 2005, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies school teacher at Robinson High School in Little Rock, did something not to be … Continue reading →




AFA Archives September 2008

September 2008 THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA IS TRULY OUR PEOPLE! Hello America, this is Billy McGehee, Founder of AFA, writing to you from downtown Houston, Texas. I am here because this is what AFA is all about; Protecting * Serving * Educating and Making A Difference in peoples lives. Once … Continue reading →




AFA Archives December 2005

December 2005 Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Fires, Blizzards, Terrorist In the year 2005 the World has been ravaged by so many destructive forces that we as human beings almost felt helpless. An underwater earthquake created a monster tsunami that took the lives of over three hundred thousand people. Category three, … Continue reading →




AFA Archives September 2005

September 2005 AFA Travels into the Eye of Hurricane Rita AFA Founder, Billy McGehee has once again traveled into a Hurricane strike zone. This time it is for Hurricane Rita. Two weeks ago he was positioned in Baton Rouge when Hurricane Katrina struck Louisiana. His reason, “AFA was started to … Continue reading →




AFA Archives May 2005

May 2005 AFA and Orlando Citizens Corps Team Up! Orlando, Florida: In an effort to provide the AFA network the opportunity to better understand how each of us can make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to disasters of all kinds, ATHLETES FOR AMERICA has TEAMED UP … Continue reading →




AFA Archives April 2005

April 2005 Former NFL Head Coach is First Coach to Endorse AFA Nashville, TN: Eddie Khayat, the former Head Coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and defensive lineman on their 1960 Championship team, announced today he would endorse ATHLETES FOR AMERICA. “It is with great enthusiasm that I applaud and endorse … Continue reading →




AFA Archives March 2005

March 2005 ATHLETES FOR AMERICA – One Mans Mission to Help Protect America! Orlando, Florida: Today is the day AFA Founder, Billy McGehee has been working towards for more than three years. It is a long way from the morning of September 11, 2001 when he witnessed the horror of … Continue reading →