The Red Cross will honor the heroic, lifesaving and outstanding actions of local community members at the Hero Awards Breakfast on March 22, 2019.
PORTLAND, Ore. March 20, 2019– The American Red Cross in Oregon and Southwest Washington (the Cascades Region) will honor ordinary people and their extraordinary and lifesaving actions at its 22nd Annual Heroes Breakfast event on March 22, 2019.
The stories of the Hero Award winners who will be honored at the event include:
Heroes Breakfast details:
For 22 years, the local Red Cross has honored local people for risking their own lives to save another or for going beyond the call of duty to positively impact the community. To view the stories of last year’s Hero Award recipients, click here: https://rdcrss.org/2CsDgD3
Full List of 2019 Hero Award Winners and Incident Recaps
Community Hero: Jay Burcham of Albany, OR
For more than a decade, Jay has made workplace safety a top priority by requiring and providing for his employees to stay up to date on their CPR/First Aid certifications. His efforts have resulted in at least one life saved, in January 2018.
Military Hero: Tim Wilson of Bend, OR
Tim is a military veteran and is incredibly active with the Oregon Veterans Motorcycle Association in Bend. He has made it his personal mission to give back to veterans in his community through this organization, helping them raise funds to help veterans for the last two years, totaling more than $14,000 in 2017 and more than $16,000 in 2018.
Good Samaritan Heroes: Captain Joshua Burrows, Riley Wyatt, Billy Pike, Harry Pike & Ken Marvel of Tidewater Barge Lines in Vancouver, WA
The crew of Tidewater’s Ryan Point Tugboat sprang into action when they spotted two people stranded in the middle of the Columbia River. The couple were exhausted and hypothermic after treading water for three hours, and the Tidewater crew pulled them to safety and warmth aboard their tugboat, saving their lives.
Give Life Hero: Merrill Gonterman, Roseburg, OR
In February 2018, Merrill found out his daughter had leukemia and needed critical medical treatment to save her life, including 40 blood transfusions. Inspired by the lifesaving power of blood products, Merrill joined the Red Cross Southwest Oregon Chapter Board of Directors in June 2018 and made it his top priority to organize regular blood drives in his community. To date, Merrill has organized 6 blood drives, collecting 153 units of blood, and he plans to continue his efforts to save even more lives.
Voluntary Service Hero: Janah Moorer, Klamath Falls, OR
Through her passion for helping and bringing joy to others, Janah has become a coordinator for her local Toys for Tots program, helping to collect and distribute more than 10,000 toys for more than 3,000 families in her community. When the organization found themselves with extra toys this past holiday season, Janah and her mom traveled to Butte County, California, to personally deliver them to families who had been affected by the Camp Fire.
First Responder Heroes: Deputies Jonathan Zacharkiw, Dan Olson & Jonah Russell, Clackamas, OR
Baby Audrey and her parents, Jessie and Kaylob, were in a mall portrait studio when Audrey suddenly became unresponsive. She had gone pale and wasn’t breathing when her mother called 911, and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Deputies Zacharkiw, Olson and Russell were nearby and responded to the call for help. They performed CPR on the infant, keeping her alive until emergency responders arrived on the scene.
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/Cascades or visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossCasc.
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