The American Red Cross of Central New York will honor several people for extraordinary courage at its 19th annual Real Heroes Breakfast on Wednesday, Dec. 6 from 7:30 – 9 a.m. at the Oncenter in Syracuse.
The Real Heroes Breakfast celebrates the Red Cross mission of alleviating human suffering by recognizing people from throughout Central New York who have performed heroic acts in life-threatening situations. The honorees include first responders as well as ordinary citizens who are directly responsible for saving a life or multiple lives.
Proceeds from the Real Heroes Breakfast benefit the Red Cross, which provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. The Central New York Chapter serves Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties.
In the past year, the chapter responded to 143 local disaster incidents, assisting 210 families; made 409 households safer through the installation of 1,167 free smoke alarms as part of the Home Fire Campaign; trained 11,706 people in first aid, CPR and water safety skills; reconnected 421 military families via emergency communications services; and collected 39,346 blood donations from volunteer donors.
2017 Real Heroes:
Adult Good Samaritan
Dan DeGouff, Kip Northrup and Tyler Zinsmeyer
They rescued a man from an overturned vehicle on the Oswego River.
Youth Good Samaritan
John Exner
While eating at a local diner, he performed the Heimlich Maneuver on an elderly woman who was choking.
Animal Rescue
Paulene Eggers and dog Braylee
Eggers, of Liverpool, drove Braylee to Tompkins County to help locate a missing dog.
Blood Donor Services
Bikash and Kumari Regmi
They’ve hosted several blood drives in collaboration with the Bhutanese refugee community.
Education
Bobby DeLee
A school bus driver, he safely evacuated passengers as the bus was rapidly filling with smoke.
Fire Rescue
Earlville Volunteer Fire Department and Hamilton Fire Department
First responders from both departments rescued a driver who was trapped inside a vehicle that was dangling over rushing water.
Good Neighbor
Dave Weaver
He ran into a burning home to save a neighbor and her dog.
Law Enforcement
Anibal Pizarro
While off-duty as an Onondaga County corrections officer, he is credited with saving the life of a newborn at a local department store.
Lifeline
Adam McCracken
A Cortland County 911 Dispatcher, he instructed a caller on how to administer CPR on a patient who wasn’t breathing.
Medical
Erica Segar-Donadio
A home care nurse, she administered first aid on a patient who was experiencing a significant and unexpected health issue.
Military
Roberto F. Alvarez
A VA employee and U.S. Army Veteran, he is involved in numerous community services to benefit members of the military, veterans and their families.
Workplace Safety
Jeff DeMong, William Ruby and Tom Stone
Accepting on behalf of 11 Employees at James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant who saved the life of a contract worker who had collapsed at the plant.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.