Media Contact:
Christine Welch, Regional Communications Director
christine.welch@redcross.org
909-374-0376
SAN DIEGO – June 23, 2021 – Not all heroes wear capes! Do you know an “ordinary” person with extraordinary courage? Someone who has saved a life, helped a neighbor in need or made a difference in their community? If so, the American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties needs your help! If you know a local hero, the local Red Cross asks you to nominate them to be recognized at the 19th Annual Real Heroes Awards.
The annual Real Heroes Awards honors people making an impact through their bravery, dedication, and humanitarian service. Since the event’s inception, more than 100 heroes have been honored. This year’s award recipients will be honored at the event on Friday, October 1, 2021.
“We’re asking for the public’s help to identify individuals and groups that are deserving of recognition for their positive impact,” says Sean Mahoney, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Southern California Region. “Your hero could be a colleague, family member, neighbor or friend who performed a selfless act of bravery or improved their community,” says Mahoney.
Honorees will be celebrated across eight categories: Animal Welfare Hero, Corporate Hero, Disaster Services Hero, First Responder Hero, Gift of Life Hero, Good Samaritan Hero, Service to the Armed Forces Hero and Youth Hero. For complete category descriptions, visit redcross.org/sandiego/realheroes.
Nominating a hero is free and can be done quickly and easily online. All nominations are due by July 30, 2021. For more information on nomination guidelines or to submit a nomination, visit redcross.org/sandiego/realheroes.
Heroes are nominated by the public and are chosen by an awards selection committee comprised of local community leaders. Honorees are selected based on the degree to which their actions uphold the values of the Red Cross humanitarian mission and leave a lasting and positive impact on the community.
The 19th Annual Real Heroes Awards is made possible by the support of generous sponsors, including Hometown Hero Sponsor San Diego Gas & Electric and Regional Sponsor Kaiser Permanente.
Join the conversation online and get event updates using the hashtag #SDICRealHeroes. For more information about the American Red Cross of San Diego and Imperial Counties, please visit redcross.org/SoCal.
About the American Red Cross Southern California Region
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 public to perform its mission. The Red Cross Southern California Region proudly serves San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial Counties. In addition to carrying out disaster preparedness and response programs, blood collection, health and safety training, international services programs and supporting the military community, the Southern California Region provides nutritional counseling through its Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program in San Diego and helps communities prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters through its Prepare SoCal and Prepare San Diego initiatives. For more information, please visit redcross.org/SoCal or cruzrojaamericana.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
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