Each year, Red Cross chapters in the Northern California Coastal Region present awards to local heroes. These individuals have saved lives, made significant, positive differences in their communities in the areas of emergency response, disaster preparedness and prevention, or exemplified the Red Cross mission in some way. We actively seek nominees who align with one or more of the following categories:
Animal 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.
Blood Services Hero: This award honors someone who has played a significant role in efforts to promote and build the community’s lifesaving blood supply or has been a part of scientific advancements to the biomedical community.
Disaster Services Hero: This award honors 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 honors 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.
Environment Hero: This award honors 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 honors a professional first responder, such as a police officer, deputy sheriff, firefighter, search & rescue team member, or 911 dispatcher, whose lifesaving action or service to the community goes above and beyond the call of duty.
Good Samaritan Hero - Adult: This award honors 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 honors 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 honors someone who has provided outstanding service to the community in the field of international services, including but not limited to international humanitarian aid, refugee support, restoring displaced families, etc.
Medical (Healthcare) Hero: This award is given to a medical or healthcare professional, such as physicians, paramedics, or nurses, whose life saving action or service to the community goes above and beyond the call of duty or has displayed extraordinary commitment to saving/improving lives or treating illnesses.
Service to the Armed Forces Hero: This award honors someone who has provided exceptional support to armed forces services members, veterans, or their families. This award may also be given to a member of our armed forces (active, reserve, national guard, retired, commissioned or non-commissioned) whose lifesaving actions or service to the community went above and beyond the call of duty.
The Heroes Award recipients will be selected by a committee of local community leaders based on the degree to which their actions uphold the values of the American Red Cross and leave a lasting and positive impact on the residents of that particular County. Award decisions are based on the information provided by the nominator, so be detailed and include as much supporting material as possible.
If you know someone who you think is a hero but you are not sure what category they belong to or think they may belong in multiple categories, please do not hesitate to nominate them for the one category which your hero qualifies for the most. When hero nominations are reviewed, they will be placed in the best or multiple categories if qualified. Please note that a hero may not be selected for every category.
The heroic action must be either an ongoing commitment to the community for more than one year or have occurred in the past 18 months.
Selected award recipients (Heroes) must be able to attend the Heroes Breakfast and be willing to participate in video interviews and photographs for media and promotional reasons, unless it is a posthumous award.
Heroes come in many shapes and sizes. In the past we have honored individuals, teams, companies, adults, children and even animals! We appreciate creative nominations.
For any questions regarding the nomination form, please contact: Cate.Calson@redcross.org.