SANTA ROSA, Calif. – The American Red Cross of the California Northwest is currently seeking nominations for the 2017 Real Heroes Breakfast.
The annual event recognizes community members from Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties, who have shown courage, dedication, and character through acts of heroism and kindness while raising funds to support the lifesaving programs and emergency services provided by your local Red Cross Chapter.
Extraordinary acts of heroism occur in the community every day, and the people responsible for them could be your neighbors, coworkers, friends or family members.
The community is encouraged to nominate a hero at www.redcross.org/CalNWHeroes17 for one of the following 10 categories:
· Animal Rescue Hero: This award honors an animal that has protected a human in a time of need or is given to a person who has rescued an animal from a traumatic situation.
· Disaster Services Hero: This award is presented to an individual who has shown extraordinary courage in the face of a disaster or emergency, or made a significant contribution to their community’s disaster preparedness, resilience, or recovery.
· Education Hero: This award is given to a professional or volunteer educator (in elementary, middle school, high school, college or adult education) whose actions have had a profound influence on their student(s) or members of their community.
· Environmental Hero: This award is given to an individual who has had a significant impact on the protection and caring for the environment and is vital in changing the way their community cares for the environment.
· First Responder Hero: This award is given to a professional first responder, such as a police officer, deputy sheriff, firefighter, search & rescue team member, or 911 dispatcher, whose life-saving action or service to the community goes above and beyond the call of duty.
· Good Samaritan Hero - Adult: This award is given to an ordinary citizen (adult) who used life-saving skills (such as CPR, water rescue or first aid) to assist or save the life of another or to a person whose actions have made a significant contribution toward the betterment of his or her community.
· Good Samaritan Hero - Youth: This award is given to an ordinary citizen (youth) who used life-saving skills (such as CPR, water rescue or first aid) to assist or save the life of another or to a person whose actions have made a significant contribution toward the betterment of his or her community.
· International Services Hero: This award is presented to someone who has provided outstanding service to the community in the field of international services, including but limited to international humanitarian aid, refugee support, restoring displaced families, etc.
· Medical (Health Care) Hero: This award is given to a medical or health care professional, such as a physician, paramedic, or nurse, whose life-saving actions or service to the community went above and beyond the call of duty. This award honors extraordinary commitment to saving/improving lives or treating illnesses.
· Service to the Armed Forces Hero: This award is given to someone who has provided exceptional support to service members, veterans, or their families. This award also may also be given to a member of our armed forces (active, reserve, national guard, retired, commissioned or non-commissioned) whose life saving actions or service to the community went above and beyond the call of duty.
The deadline to submit nominations is Monday, Jan. 30. Any of these categories can also be awarded as a posthumous award.
Recipients of the 2017 California Northwest Real Heroes Awards will be selected by a committee of local community leaders. Committee members will consider the degree to which their acts of heroism uphold the values of the American Red Cross and leave a lasting and positive impact on the residents of the Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties.
Criteria for nominations:
· All nominees must work or reside in Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Napa and Sonoma counties. Their heroic actions may have occurred elsewhere.
· The heroic acts must either ongoing commitment to the community for more than one year or have occurred between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2016.
· Nominations must be received no later than Monday, Jan. 30.
Selected heroes will be honored at the 2017 Real Heroes Breakfast on Thursday, April 27, at Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel in Santa Rosa.
Visit www.redcross.org/CalNWHeroes17 for more details on each of the 2017 Real Heroes Award categories. The Web site also includes information on how to purchase tickets and how to become a sponsor.