Bay Area youth received free heart screenings on National Youth Heart Screening Day on Feb. 1 at Foothill College.

The Los Gatos-based Kyle J. Taylor Foundation and Parent Heart Watch helped organize the event in Los Altos Hills to recognize the importance of early detection for heart conditions that may lead to sudden cardiac arrest. Jennifer Sarmento, the foundation’s executive director, said one in 300 youth have an undetected heart condition that could put them at further risk.

“National Youth Heart Screening Day is a call to action for every kid, every heart, to be screened for heart-related issues,” she said in a release.

The Kyle J. Taylor Foundation has been involved in similar efforts throughout the West Valley in recent years. The nonprofit helped coordinate heart screenings for student athletes at the Campbell Union High School District in 2022. It also facilitated the installation of AEDs, or automatic external defibrillators in two parks in Los Gatos this year, and the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District joined Campbell in implementing mandatory heart screenings in the 2024-2025 academic year.