Kyler’s Big Heart is a community-driven initiative established to raise funds for life-saving medical equipment on the Oregon Coast. Founded in 2024 in loving memory of Kyler Warren Cavitt, the organization’s primary mission is to purchase Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and other vital heart-saving devices.

By hosting an annual benefit concert at the Port of Garibaldi, the initiative equips local first responders, businesses, and community hubs with the tools they need to save lives during cardiac emergencies.

Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time. When a cardiac emergency occurs, every single second is critical. According to medical experts, a victim’s chance of survival drops by 7% to 10% for every minute that passes without defibrillation.

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable, user-friendly medical device designed to analyze a heart’s rhythm and deliver a life-saving electrical shock if necessary. These devices are equipped with clear voice prompts and simple instructions so that bystanders with no medical background can successfully operate them during high-stress situations.

While local first responders in the Tillamook Bay area are exceptional, travel times can consume crucial minutes.

By placing public-access AEDs directly inside local businesses, Kyler’s Big Heart empowers everyday citizens to bridge the gap between a cardiac event and the arrival of emergency medical services, drastically increasing survival rates.

Forever in loving memory, Kyler Warren Cavitt passed away suddenly in May 2024 at the early age of 28 from an aortic dissection. Kyler was in the emergency room when the complication occurred, and ultimately, the root cause went undiscovered.

Firstborn and the oldest of three, Kyler was fiercely proud of his family. He loved his siblings equally and unconditionally, inseparable from his younger sister Kayla and acting as the ultimate “big brother protector” to his youngest sister Kitt.

A person of great kindness and a generous soul, he was an avid outdoorsman, a prolific gamer, and a talented baker who dreamed of settling down on the Oregon coast to have a family of his own.

He truly lived every moment to its fullest. And his generous spirit continues to touch lives because Kyler was an organ donor—a contribution that was incredibly important to him, following in the footsteps of his uncle and grandfather who were organ recipients.

In the wake of this sudden loss, Kyler’s loving parents established the Kyler’s Big Heart initiative.

Through their efforts in Kyler’s memory, the family and event organizers hope to support other families and provide the tools needed to save lives in emergency situations, ensuring his legacy of helping others continues.

Kyler’s Big Heart is a true community effort driven first and foremost by Kyler’s four loving parents: Dennis and Amanda Cavitt, alongside his mother Gengee Ramirez and stepfather Jose Inez (Joe) Ramirez.

The initiative is made possible by a dedicated core team of organizers, including Cosmo Jones, Scott and Cynthia Casey, and the NCAM Foundation.

The foundation is also heavily supported by the staff at the Garibaldi Portside Bistro and Barview Jetty store, incredible local sponsors, and the unrelenting support of the entire Tillamook County community.