Avive Named First Aid Sponsor of the 2026 Head of the Charles Regatta, Deploying 30 Avive Connect AED®s Across the World's Largest Rowing Event

Avive Connect AED®s will travel the course on safety bikes and medical boats and stand ready at all five aid stations, protecting athletes, volunteers, and spectators October 16-18

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Avive Solutions, manufacturer of the Avive Connect AED®s is the First Aid Sponsor of the 2026 Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR). Avive will provide 30 Avive AEDs to support the HOCR Emergency Services medical staff and protect athletes, spectators, staff and volunteers on and along the course during the three-day event, October 16-18, 2026.

Held on the penultimate complete weekend of October on the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge, HOCR is the world's largest three-day rowing competition. The 2026 regatta is expected to draw approximately 325,000 unique spectators, 11,500 competitors, and 2,400 volunteers.

"At an event the size and complexity of the Head Of The Charles Regatta, having an AED that combines compact size, lightweight portability, and advanced technology is a real advantage. Our medical teams cover a large footprint, often moving through crowded areas where every second counts. Avive's technology helps us put lifesaving equipment in the hands of our responders and get it where it's needed most." - Pete Davekos, NR-P Head of the Charles - Emergency Services

About the Event

The Head of the Charles Regatta is a head race, in which crews race against the clock over a long course rather than side by side. It runs along the Charles River from the Boston University Boathouse to Herter Park, with competitors navigating six demanding bridge turns. The course is about three miles (roughly 4,702 meters) long. More than 11,500 competitors compete across roughly 74 events, with hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the banks.

AED Deployment Plan

Avive's 30 Avive Connect AEDs will be positioned with HOCR Emergency Services to put a defibrillator within reach across the full length of the course, on land and on the water:

• Rapid Response Bike Teams: AEDs will travel the course on event bikes, allowing medical staff to reach patients quickly along the riverbanks and in crowded spectator areas.
• On the water: Every safety launch will carry an Avive AED, extending lifesaving capability onto the river, where land-based response is not possible.
• Aid stations: All five aid stations along the course will be equipped with Avive Connect AEDs, giving staff and the public fixed, reliable points of care.

How Avive Connect Supports Public and Athletic Events

Avive Connect goes beyond a device that delivers a shock. It is designed to connect the people, systems, and information needed for survival:

• REALConnect fleet-wide oversight: Event organizers and medical teams can monitor and manage the entire AED fleet, helping ensure devices are ready, accounted for, and deployed where needed.
• Intuitive, guided prompts: Clear, step-by-step instructions help anyone, from trained medical staff to a bystander or volunteer, use the AED successfully under pressure.
• Child Mode: Streamlined response for both children and adults, important at a family-friendly event that draws all ages.
• Connectivity for location awareness: Built-in connectivity helps teams know where AEDs are, which is essential for mobile units on Gators and boats moving along a three-mile course.

About the Head of the Charles Regatta

The Head of the Charles Regatta is the world's largest three-day rowing event, held each October on the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Learn more at hocr.org.

About Avive Solutions:

Avive Solutions, Inc. is a Brisbane, CA-based company dedicated to developing state-of-the-art Automated External  Defibrillators (AEDs) designed to be accessible, intuitive, and effective in saving lives during Sudden Cardiac  Arrest emergencies. Avive's mission is to ensure that lifesaving AED technology is available in every community  across the nation. Learn more at avive.life.

Media Contact:

Mackenzie Kirk
Content Marketing Manager, Avive Solutions
[email protected] 

SOURCE Avive Solutions, Inc.