Ordinary local citizens who have done something extraordinary to save a life or make the community a better and safer place to live.
Salt Lake City, UTAH (Wednesday, February 03, 2010) — The American Red Cross Greater Salt Lake Area Chapter announces the 2010 Heroes have been selected and will be awarded at the American Red Cross Heroes Event sponsored by UnitedHealthcare, one month from today, on March 3rd at the Salt Palace Convention Center in the Grand Ballroom at 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
And the 2010 American Red Cross Heroes are…
Tanya Shroeder – Imagine throwing yourself in front of a train to save the life of a child. But the train is a 90-pound pit bull. Tanya disregarded her own personal safety to save a four-year old and her own two children from an angry dog that broke through their fence and waged war on them in their backyard. At one point, the pit bull had the four-year old pinned to the ground by the neck. Tanya pried the dog off of the child. The brave mom suffered many bites and braved a series of attacks from the pit bull, but in the end, they all reached safety. She earns the Family Hero Award.
Fire Station 8’s 100 First Aid Kits – Salt Lake City Fire Station 8 joined the International Aid Servicing Kids to assemble 100 First Aid Kits to give to locals in Haiti. Captain Rick Black travelled to Haiti where he delivered the kits, treated 1300 villagers (57% of them children) and instructed first aid to locals. This group receives the International Good Samaritan award. At the time, they had no idea Haiti would soon suffer a devastating earthquake.
Shooting Victim - Rueben Martinez suffered from a life-altering incident. He was mistaken for a gang member and brutally shot. After months in the hospital and multiple surgeries, he could have retaliated with anger, but instead joined efforts to help troubled youth in his community. He diligently served as a leader for other teens at Youth Works. He is the Youth Good Samaritan.
Radio to the Rescue - Hal Whiting was in the middle of nowhere near the Arizona border when someone flagged him down for help. An ATV accident victim was seriously injured, help was far away and cell phones were out of range. Hal used his ham radio equipment and his training to get help and save a life. Hal receives the Wilderness Award.
Teen Rescue - JJ Larson and six friends performed an emergency medical rescue at a private swimming pool, saving the life of Bailee Robinson. The girl suffered a seizure and sank to the bottom of the pool. The group of friends pulled her out of the water, called 911 and JJ put her in a rescue position. Others guided the EMTs to the pool. The youth win the Medical Rescue Award.
The Park City 5 –Coincidentally, five moms in Park City lose their teens to a variety of unexpected deaths in a short period of time. They band together to mourn and to honor their lost children. The moms raise funds and build a needed school in Ecuador. Now, the group has raised enough to build a total of five schools. They receive the International Good Samaritan Award.
Kathy Jo Hall – 911 dispatcher Kathy Jo Hall helped two men whose boat capsized on the Great Salt Lake in January 2009. Hall’s calming influence in a dramatic 911 call made it possible to get GPS coordinates to the rescuers. Kathy Jo is the Law Enforcement Hero.
On the Road – Driving home from work, Jason Day saw a car on fire with a woman inside. He braved the fire and a possible explosion to pull her from the car to safety. He and another unidentified man on the scene tried to put out the fire, but four minutes after the woman was free from the car, it erupted in flames. Jason receives the Adult Good Samarian Award.
School Bus Nightmare – A school bus loaded with children on a field trip is rolling down the interstate in the St. George area. The bus driver has a medical emergency. An adult chaperone and a teacher pull the driver from the front seat and another chaperone steers the bus to safety. Children’s lives were saved. Jan and Laura Graf and Ben Smith are awarded the Adult Good Samaritan Award.
Preparedness Team – Taylorsville Volunteers Donna Pitman & Lisa Schwartz prepared their community for a large catastrophic disaster. Donna led the efforts and serves as the volunteer chair for public safety and Lisa divided the city into sections and prepared a team of individuals to be able to respond when needed. They win the Community Safety Hero Award.
Military Might – Sgt. Brady Johnson was headed for a family picnic in American Fork Canyon, when he came upon an emergency in the midst of a bike racing event on the road. He helped save the life of cyclist Dave Collins after a bicycle/SUV accident. Others on the scene thought Dave was deceased. But Brady and others used medic skills to assess his injuries and to get the man breathing again. Dave had a gash from his jugular all the way to his sternum. Brady packed Dave’s wounds with gauze and held them in place to prevent him from bleeding to death until medics arrived. Brady receives the Military Hero Award.
Lifetime Achievement – Each year several heroes are honored by the American Red Cross. Only one of them receives a special award for a lifetime of heroic achievement. This year, that award goes to Paula Green Johnson who has served her community for 25 years as a volunteer. Paula has helped several worthy causes. She has personally led major projects, taken on leadership roles, and helped save many children in Africa by supporting the International Red Cross Measles Initiative. She even travelled to Ghana to help with the project. She serves by leading and mentoring. She was selected as this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award winner for sharing her time, treasure and many talents with the American Red Cross and other local nonprofit organizations.
Selection Information - The finalists were chosen by a special Selection Committee made up of the following members: Governor Gary R. Herbert, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Carroon, Pastor France Davis -Calvary Baptist Church, Natalie Gochnour - COO Salt Lake Chamber, and Lynn Samsel - Director of Emergency Services, LDS Humanitarian Services.
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