Eurest Team Members Saved Five Lives through CPR Training

One life-changing moment turned into an empowering life-saving movement across Eurest, resulting in more than 1,000 managers completing CPR training and five lives saved.

It all began with Tom Teves, President of Eurest’s National Accounts division, who remembers very little before waking up in a hospital three days after collapsing in a restaurant in SeaTac, Washington.

He had been dining out when a piece of steak got lodged in his throat, cutting off his airway and stopping his heart.

A fellow patron named Dillon immediately stepped in and began performing CPR, keeping Tom alive for 15 minutes until paramedics arrived.

Back in Arizona, Tom’s wife received the call no one ever wants to get. She flew to his side, bracing for the unknown after doctors warned that if he wakes up, he will not be the same. Against the odds, Tom did wake up, and one of his first calls was to locate the man who saved his life.

“I called the hotel restaurant to find this kid and it really hit me that no one working at that conference center knew CPR,” said Tom. “I had already decided that I wanted to teach everyone at the company to do CPR, and that really solidified it.”

Tom is no stranger to turning tragedy into something meaningful. In 2012, he and his wife, Caren, lost their son Alex in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting.

Out of that loss, they created No Notoriety, a movement dedicated to changing the way media covers mass shootings, urging news outlets to focus on the victims and heroes rather than the perpetrators.

That same spirit of purpose and action drove Tom’s commitment to helping others feel confident and capable in emergencies.

From Recovery to Action

Following his recovery, Tom embraced his “second chance” as an opportunity to make an impact and empower other heroes to step in during an emergency, like the man who saved his life.

He made CPR training a priority for every manager within his division to learn its life-saving skills – not as a requirement, but as a way to help them feel more prepared and confident should an emergency occur

Since then, more than 1,000 team members have completed CPR training and five lives have already been saved as a result of the knowledge and readiness it builds.

“We’re in hospitality – we take care of people, and I believe we need to know how to do this. We feed people, and anything can happen. I hope people have the confidence to know what to do in an emergency,” said Tom.

When Preparation Meets Courage

Among the first to step up was Will Alfieri, vice president of operations and a former paramedic who became re-certified as a CPR trainer to contribute to helping his colleagues be prepared. “I was quick to raise my hand and possibly prevent this from happening to some other family,” shared Will.

Since then, Will has trained hundreds of fellow team members in CPR, including Jeff Speanburg, a financial controller. One evening, while out to dinner with his family, Jeff noticed his seven-year-old daughter went quiet and was struggling to breathe. He quickly pulled her on to his lap and did the Heimlich maneuver until the food dislodged and she began to breathe again.

“You think that there’s always someone else who will know what to do, but it might be you,” said Jeff.

It was less than six months after Regional Chef Richard Yennerell completed his CPR training that he found himself facing a similar moment.

While on a typical evening walk in his neighborhood, Richard heard frantic screams from a neighbor’s porch. Their two-year old daughter was unconscious and not breathing. He thought back to what he’d learned, stayed calm, and performed chest compressions until the baby took a breath on her own.

“I just kept thinking, stay calm and do what you were taught,” said Richard.

Building a Culture of Readiness and Compassion

From Tom’s survival to the five lives that have followed, each story shares a common thread: preparation, compassion, and the courage to act when it matters most.

“Tragedy hits us all and you can let it crush you or do something positive to hopefully help the next person,” said Tom.

Eurest continues to expand CPR training as an optional educational opportunity across its four business divisions, helping more team members gain the confidence to respond calmly and safely if they ever choose to do so.

Because sometimes, the greatest act of hospitality isn’t just serving a meal — it’s being ready to help when someone needs it most.

ABOUT OUR HEROES

Pictured L-R: Culinary Director Craig Tarrant, Manager Priscila Saquipay, Division Controller Jeff Speanburg

Chef Craig Tarrant and his friends acted quickly and heroically, performing CPR on a friend who suffered a heart attack while on the golf course.

Retail Manager Priscila Saquipay jumped into action when a guest fainted in line at one of her marketplaces, using the CPR training she’d received to stay calm and take control of the situation.

While dining out with his family, Jeff Speanburg used the Heimlich maneuver to save his 7-year-old daughter from choking on a piece of steak. Thanks to the CPR training that he chose to receive, he knew exactly what to do and stayed calm when it mattered most.

Pictured L-R: Regional Chef Richard Yennerell, Sous Chef Joe Zarella

After completing CPR training, Chef Richard Yennerell used those lifesaving skills to help save a two-year old girl. Having once been revived himself as an infant, Richard’s story comes full circle: a powerful reminder of the impact one person can make.

When a Eurest team member in Hartford collapsed without a pulse, Sous Chef Joe Zarella performed CPR for 13 minutes until EMS arrived, helping save their life. Doctors later called the recovery a miracle, crediting Joe’s quick action and the team’s support.

To find out how to gain life-saving CPR skills, visit the American Heart Association at cpr.heart.org.