From Fire Rescuers to CPR Providers, 12 Angelenos to Receive Red Cross Honors

LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2022 — From performing CPR when a stranger collapses at a community gym to pulling someone from a burning car or home, our city is full of brave and courageous heroes. This Thursday, May 19, the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region is proud to honor community heroes who have demonstrated extraordinary acts of courage and humanitarian service at its 17th Annual Hometown Heroes Ceremony. These 12 individuals jumped into action in a moment’s notice without hesitation – they are true Heroes.

WHAT:	The Red Cross honors individuals from across Los Angeles County who have demonstrated heroism through extraordinary acts of bravery and humanitarian service.
WHERE:	Carson Civic Center 801 E Carson St., Carson, CA 90745
WHEN:	Thursday, May 19, 2022; 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Program begins at noon.
WHO:	The 2022 Hometown Heroes are:
	Allen Chung – Long Beach Fire Department Andres Alonso – Marine Corps Veteran Bali Fedalizo – San Pedro High School Student Captain William Basulto – Pasadena Fire Department Jose Barron and Anthony Diaz – City of Santa Monica Community Recreation employees Monique Champagne, Shayla Jackson and Hunter Collins – Southwest employee and flight passengers Nathaniel Burch – Lakewood Resident Officer Jorge Grajeda – Long Beach Police Department Richard Montejano – Bellflower Resident Opportunities for photos and interviews with heroes.

For 16 years, the Red Cross has celebrated extraordinary acts by ordinary people who have saved lives; made significant positive differences in their community in the areas of emergency response, disaster preparedness, and prevention; or exemplified the Red Cross mission in some other way.

The heroes being honored this week are all different people, with diverse personalities, ages and abilities. Different except for one uniting factor – something inside pulled them forward to help another person in need. Heroes, like Richard Montejano, who braved danger himself to save the life of a complete stranger. On Sept. 8, 2021, Margarita Medina was driving home, when she slammed into a propane tank filling station, which exploded into a fire and trapped her in her car. Montejano, who was Red Cross-trained, along with other courageous bystanders acted quickly and found a way to get Medina out of the car, saving her life.

“We are living through a time when the average person is being called upon to carry out acts of great heroism,” said Amy Papageorges, Executive Director for the American Red Cross Greater Long Beach and South Bay Chapter. “We are one community together – living and protecting one another. We are excited to honor some of these individuals this Thursday.”

The awards luncheon is made possible by the generosity of sponsors including Marathon Petroleum, AES Corporation, BRAGG Companies, Total-American Investment Company, Toyota, AALRR, Acrisure-Busby Stone Risk Management, Braden Phillips, California Resources Corporation, Fast Lane Transportation, Jean Bixby-Smith, JHS CPAs, NRG, Phillips 66, Port of Long Beach, Scaffold Solutions, SoCalGas Company, Watson Land and Wesco.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org/la or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA or @CruzRojaLA.