OAKLAND, CA (May 30, 2017) - The American Red Cross of the Bay Area is proud to present the Volunteer of the Year award to two outstanding volunteers: Rick Draper of Alameda County and Diane Dupuy of Contra Costa County.

Rick's dedication to the Red Cross' Mission is second to none. He is always there for the clients and develops great relationships with them. He takes on multiple leadership roles during Disaster Response Operations and truly puts the client first. Most recently, Rick dedicated the better part of four months to the GhostShip Response clients and definitively made a significant positive impact in their recovery through his efforts.

Diane Dupuy provides exceptional leadership to the local Red Cross Recovery Programs while maintaining a positive attitude in rough situations. She mentors many volunteers throughout the region and supports Regional Recovery Manager by providing time, ideas, and exceptional spirit that is focused on the mission. She goes out of her way to show appreciation to volunteers and staff.

Other outstanding local volunteers and community partners that were honored at the recent Alameda and Contra Costa County Volunteer Awards and Recognition Event located at the Chabot Space and Science Center include:

·         Administration and Support Award: Catherine Valle-Friedman of Contra Costa

·         Biomedical Services, Customer Service: Patricia Finch & Shaileeni Sewak of Alameda and Josh Safabakhsh of Contra Costa

·         Biomedical Services, Volunteer of the Year: Will Bierman of Alameda and Jinwen Liwanpo of Contra Costa

·         Biomedical Services, Donor of the Year: Tom Petty of Alameda and Claude Dorsey of Contra Costa

·         Collaboration Award: John Earthy of Contra Costa

·         Community Engagement Award: Kane Wong of Alameda and Larry Fong of Contra Costa

·         Disaster Cycle Services, Outstanding Support: John Gee of Alameda and Art Webb of Contra Costa

·         Disaster Cycle Services, Exceptional Response: The Response Team for the GhostShip Warehouse Fire Response

·         Disaster Cycle Services, Exceptional Leadership: Ed Silva of Alameda and Jane Jennings of Contra Costa

·         Disaster Cycle Services, Extraordinary Commitment and Dedication: Rosalind Miller of Alameda and Stanton Gleason of Contra Costa

·         International Services: Patricia Hadley of Alameda

·         Good Neighbor & Partnership Award: The Salvation Army and Juan Carlos Gomez of Mi Pueblo Foods

·         New Volunteer of the Year: Debbie Feary of Alameda

·         Teamwork Award: Irving Lee of Contra Costa and Karol Enferadi of Alameda

·         Volunteer Supervisor Award: Linda Crippin of Contra Costa

·         Youth Services Award: Priya Natarajan of Alameda

About the American Red Cross of the Bay Area

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 call 1-888-4-HELP-BAY (1-888-443-5722) or visit redcross.org/bayarea to learn more. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter.