LOS ANGELES, April 13, 2024 — Today, volunteers, who make up 90% of the American Red Cross workforce, were honored at the annual Volunteer Excellence Awards in Pasadena. Demonstrating their distinguished service and dedication to the Red Cross mission, these volunteers selflessly donated more than 228,000 hours in 2023 to address the needs of those reeling from record-breaking disasters.

SEE: 2024 Volunteer Excellence Awards Live Feed (Facebook)

ALSO SEE: Photos of the 2024 Volunteer Excellence Awards Honorees (Flickr)

The 10 award winners, along with the more than 6,200 volunteers in the LA Region, received praise and gratitude for their consistent commitment to the Red Cross mission and values. In 2023, local volunteers provided disaster assistance to over 400 Angelenos, installed more than 4,500 smoke alarms, provided service to more than 3,500 military members, implemented new blood donation eligibility and deployed over 170 volunteers to respond to disasters across the country.

“Our volunteers are part of a family. We are bound together by our humanitarian spirit and dedication to our mission and community,” said Joanne Nowlin, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region. “We are here for the spectacular achievements, the ups and downs, and to deliver comfort and care in our signature LA style.”

Committed to helping all those in need, volunteers deliver emergency support such as disaster relief, lifesaving blood, critical services for military families and veterans, lifesaving skills like CPR, international aid and so much more every day. Become a Red Cross volunteer by applying at redcross.org/volunteer.

The awardees:

Ken Takata – Rising Star Award

Ken is recognized with an award honoring a volunteer who has served less than one year and has made a measurable impact within their first 12 months. Starting out in disaster preparedness, Ken has grown to serve in various roles from disaster action team to blood transportation specialist ensuring critical blood supplies are delivered to hospitals in urgent need.

Karyn Fu – Outstanding Youth

Karyn has been with the Red Cross for over 3 years and has demonstrated her dedication to serving her community with over 1,800 volunteer service hours. Through service, she has grown as a leader from serving as a youth advocate for International Humanitarian Law to becoming a camp counselor in the annual Leadership Development Camp.

Alexa Cordero – Biomedical Achievement

Alexa is recognized for her contributions as a blood donor ambassador where she excels in ensuring all volunteers and team members are well taken care of. As an aspiring physician assistant, she hopes to continue utilizing the skills gained as a volunteer to give back to her teammates and patients.

Jill Sperling – Services to the Armed Forces

Jill has consistently shown extraordinary efforts for the community locally and nationally through her dedicated service in the Service to the Armed Forces program. She goes above and beyond to ensure that veterans receive the support and care they deserve, contributing significantly to the fulfillment of the Red Cross's mission to alleviate human suffering in times of crisis.

George Lopez – Disaster Preparedness & Response

George is recognized for his contributions to the Disaster Action Team. He has responded to numerous disaster calls, and most recently responded to the Hawaii Wildfires. During his time in Maui, he respected Hawaiian customs while assisting those displaced from their homes.

Anel Laj – Communications Award

Anel embodies the Red Cross mission in her service work spanning from newsletter creation to careful storytelling as a writer. She brings kindness and compassion to highlighting unique and powerful stories from diverse voices.

Bob Rich – International Services

Bob’s innovative approach in Restoring Family Links  has significantly improved the likelihood of reuniting families affected by the Holocaust. His efforts in navigating historical records and archives, along with providing genealogy referrals, have streamlined and expanded services.

Mary Norvell – Special Citation for Exceptional Volunteer Service

Mary started with the Red Cross as an employee for the Los Angeles Chapter. When she retired, she took a break and since returning has taken on providing professional development workshops and serving as the Regional Volunteer Relations lead.

Margie Perschied – Volunteer Leadership

Since Margie’s first day as a volunteer administrative assistant to the executive director, she has been "all in" on the Red Cross. With tireless energy and creativity, she revamped the chapter's administrative processes and helped standardize the board meeting packages. She has organized, staffed and administered countless blood drives.

Margaret Hoiser – Clara Barton Honor Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership

Margaret receives this award for her consistent leadership as she has maintained 24/7 on call status and responded to disaster response requests consistently. She embodies Clara Barton’s spirit of service and as Clara famously stated, “you must never think of anything except the need, and how to meet it.”

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 visit us on Twitter at @RedCrossLA.