Tribute to Heroes Honorary Chair Don Sherman speaks during the 15th edition of the annual awards program.
Tribute to Heroes is about honoring ordinary people doing extraordinary acts, and the American Red Cross serving Kansas recognized nine community heroes at the 15th annual awards breakfast.
Hosted by the Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita, Tribute to Heroes featured remarks by Red Cross Executive Directors Shannon Wedge and Jane Blocher; Evergy Regional Director of Community Affairs, past Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas Board President, and Tribute to Heroes Honorary Chair Don Sherman; and current Red Cross of South Central and Southeast Kansas Board Chair Kaley Sturgeon. KWCH anchor Felicia Rolfe served as emcee.
Five awards presented at the event honored Kansans for their lifesaving or life-changing efforts in the past year. Click each award title to watch a video story about those heroes.
Call to Action Hero — Kerry Hurd
The Call to Action Hero award is given to those who face unexpected challenges and respond with extraordinary courage.
Mail carrier Kerry Hurd was finishing her route when she saw a car pulled over to the side of the road. When she checked on the driver, she found they weren’t breathing — and there was a child in the car with them. Kerry performed CPR on the driver until emergency services arrived. Her actions have also earned her the Postmaster General Hero Award, one of the highest honors a U.S. Postal Service employee can receive.
Hurd served for 21 years in the Army National Guard where she was a Supply Sergeant for 10 years and a Heavy Equipment Operator for 11 years. She has worked at the U.S. Postal Service for 10 years.
Disaster Relief Heroes — Jason Jones, Rita Rodriguez, Daniella Voltaire and Roger Xanders
The Disaster Relief Hero award recognizes individuals or organizations that play a vital role in disaster response.
On the evening of Jan. 29, American Airlines flight 5342 from Wichita to Washington, D.C., collided with a U.S. Army helicopter over the Potomac River. All 64 passengers and crew on board the plane and the three crew members on the helicopter lost their lives.
Wichita Airport Police and Fire and the Incident Family Support Team poured their professionalism, empathy and training into the response on the ground at ICT. While the community mourned the loss of the passengers, many of whom had spent weeks in Wichita for a U.S. Figure Skating competition, the teams coordinated relief efforts for families and those affected by the loss and the continued day-to-day operations of the airport.
Wichita Airport Police and Fire Chief Roger Xanders, Deputy Chief Jason Jones, Rita Rodriguez, and Envoy Air General Manager Daniella Voltaire were recognized for their roles in managing the local response to this tragedy.
Gift of Life Hero — Jo Ryder
The Gift of Life Hero award honors those who advance the lifesaving mission through blood donations or by inspiring others to give.
Jo Ryder was a dedicated blood donor. She gave more than 95 units of blood before she was diagnosed with cancer and no longer eligible to donate. During treatment, Ryder received platelet transfusions, and she began to crochet small hearts to serve as conversation starters for people to talk about donating blood.
She would make the hearts during chemotherapy appointments, and she started sharing them by bringing them to the Red Cross for donors to take after giving blood. Soon, Ryder began sharing them with her doctors, lab techs and anyone in the community who needed a little brightness in their day.
Ryder passed away on Aug. 3. Her husband, Robert, and one of her daughters, Brianna, accepted the award in recognition of Ryder’s extraordinary generosity and commitment to others. Her love for animals, sewing, teaching and, above all, helping others are dearly missed.
Public Servant Heroes — Efrain Rueda and Benjamin Schaefer
The Public Servant Hero award recognizes individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty as first responders.
Wichita State University Police Sgt. Efrain Rueda and Wichita Police Ofc. Benjamin Schaefer were on their normal patrols around Wichita State University when two house fires broke out simultaneously. Rueda and Schaefer sprang into action, hurrying into a burning house to get the occupants outside safely.
Rueda has over 18 years of experience in law enforcement. He has worked for the Wichita State University Police Department since 2016. Schaefer has been with the Wichita Police Department for nearly eight years. In October, he started a new role as a School Resource Officer at South High School after over seven years assigned to the department’s Patrol North division.
Lifetime Hero — Bryan Ellis
The Lifetime Hero award goes to those with a long-standing commitment to community service.
Bryan Ellis has dedicated his life to firefighting and emergency management. He began his career as a volunteer firefighter in Mulvane in 1982. He served with Sedgwick County Fire District #1 for over 34 years and with the Harvey County Emergency Management for over eight years. He currently works as the operations manager at Sedgwick County Emergency Management.
Ellis has earned honors for his leadership and expertise, including the Randy Reineker Instructor of the Year and Outstanding Emergency Management Professional of the Year at this year’s Emergency Management Conference.
Bryan’s commitment to service extends far beyond his professional role. He has volunteered almost 12,000 hours with the American Red Cross over the past six years, playing a vital role in Disaster Cycle Services. His contributions include training new volunteers, staffing the duty officer volunteer role, strengthening government relations and managing response systems. For his exceptional dedication, Bryan has received the Clara Barton Award for Meritorious Volunteer Leadership and has been named Exceptional Volunteer of the Year from the Red Cross.
To all of the 2025 honorees: Thank you for your displays of compassion in service to others, often people you’ve never met. Your actions are inspiring, and it was an honor to recognize you during Tribute to Heroes.
Thank you to our sponsors. The American Red Cross has helped people locally, nationally and globally for over 140 years. Sponsoring the Tribute to Heroes breakfast directly supports our mission. These companies’ investments enable us to collect, test and deliver lifesaving blood and platelets to nearly 100 hospitals and clinics across the state. They also help Kansans prepare for and recover from disasters, including home fires, and they provide essential support to our military heroes at home and abroad.
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