South County has real heroes and the American Red Cross needs
help to find them.
Gilroy – South County has real heroes and the American Red Cross needs help to find them.
The Santa Clara Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross will host their first “Real Heroes” Breakfast Oct. 28 at Coyote Creek Golf Club and they are seeking out heroic nominees in nine categories.
“We certainly hope to fill all of our nomination categories,” said Bonnie Williams, the special events director for the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the American Red Cross. “And make an award in each of those categories.”
The local chapter is accepting nominations by fax, e-mail and online from Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill residents who know someone who has completed a heroic act in Santa Clara County between April 1, 2004 and July 1, 2005.
“There are ordinary people throughout our community who perform extraordinary acts of courage and selflessness that save lives,” Williams said.
The event will honor people who have saved lives through prevention, preparedness and response – missions of the American Red Cross. For the categories of Education Hero, Good Samaritan – Adult (21 years +), Good Samaritan – Youth (20 years and younger) and Workplace Hero, nominees should be people who used lifesaving skills to save or attempt to save lives.
In the categories of Law Enforcement Hero, Medical Professional Hero, Military Hero and Professional Rescuer Hero, the nominees should be people who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to save or attempt to save lives.
For the animal rescue hero, nominees can be an animal that has protected a human or another animal in a time of need or a person who has rescued an animal from a traumatic situation.
So far, Williams said they have only received two formal nominations and nominations must be received by Sept. 17.
A community panel made up of a representative from each business or organization sponsoring the breakfast will review the nominees and chose a finalist in each category.
Heritage Bank of Commerce is sponsoring the Good Samaritan Youth category and Thomas Kinkade has signed on as a sponsor, but there are still plenty of sponsorship opportunities available for the event, Williams said.
“We want to promote the Red Cross as well as recognize the extraordinary deeds of our neighbors,” Williams said.
She added that the Red Cross responded to local and national disasters, including eight disasters in Gilroy and three in Morgan Hill in the last year, mostly apartment and house fires.
They are dispatching 50 volunteers to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast earlier this week.
“We are there for people in need, providing services and they are at no cost to the recipients.” Williams said. “We want to let people know we are there to help and teach people to be prepared and how to respond to emergencies in their own lives.”
Nomination forms are available online at www.santaclaravalley.redcross.org, and can be submitted online, faxed to 577-2050, e-mailed to [email protected], or mailed to: American Red Cross Santa Clara Valley Chapter, Attn: Bonnie Williams, 2731 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95134.
For information on sponsoring the event or to request a nomination form, call Bonnie Williams at 577-2112.
Melissa Flores is an intern, who recently graduated from the University of Southern California, in Los Angeles. Reach her at 842-6400, ext. 207 or [email protected].
