NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 21, 2024 — The American Red Cross in Greater New York will host its annual Heroes Gala on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at the Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan. This event will celebrate the mission of the Red Cross and honor civic leaders and community heroes.

The event is chaired by Mark Shelton, Red Cross Board member and General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, State Street Corporation. Ashleigh Banfield, host of Banfield on NewsNation, will serve as emcee.

Additionally, Gail McGovern, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Red Cross, will join as a special guest.

Honorees for the evening include:

CORPORATE LEADERSHIP AWARD: Mastercard — Mastercard is the 2024 Corporate Leadership honoree.  Whenever a crisis strikes, Mastercard has been a critical partner, using its network to support public donations and help the Red Cross send financial aid to people in need. In 2019, Mastercard became the first company to create a disaster relief training program with the Red Cross, preparing its employees before an emergency happens. To date, over 400 Mastercard workers have been trained through this program, and the company has deployed groups of volunteers to sites in Florida, Texas and Kentucky. CEO Michael Miebach will accept the award on behalf of Mastercard.

HUMANITARIAN HONOREE: New York Yankees — The New York Yankees Foundation is the 2024 Humanitarian Honoree. Through their support of the Red Cross Home Fire Campaign and responses to significant natural disasters in New York and across the country, their compassionate commitment has enabled the Red Cross to provide essential aid and support to families who have lost everything. The impact of the Foundation’s charitable initiatives, outreach programs, and support for various community causes has been felt in the communities surrounding Yankee Stadium and beyond, enhancing the lives of countless individuals.

NATIONAL HERO: Brandon Tsay — Brandon Tsay is the 2024 Red Cross National Hero. Tsay demonstrated remarkable courage on January 21, 2023, when he disarmed the Monterey Park, California mass shooter during Lunar New Year celebrations. Tsay’s heroism has since been profiled with NBC News, Good Morning America, The New York Times, among others, and Tsay has been honored by U.S. Representative Judy Chu, California Governor Gavin Newsom, U.S. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, and by the 118th U.S. Congress, and at President Joe Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address. Tsay was awarded a medal of courage from the Alhambra Police Department and now runs the Brandon Tsay Hero Fund in partnership with the Asian Pacific Community Fund.

GOOD SAMARITAN HERO: Juan Dilone — Juan Dilone is the 2024 Red Cross Local Hero. Dilone leapt into action on March 24, 2023, when — while assembling a new bed for his own child — he noticed a building across the street from his new apartment was on fire. He has been dubbed the 'East New York Spider-Man' after he climbed a three-story building to rescue three children from a burning apartment, the youngest being just 3 months old. When he isn’t scaling buildings, Juan works as a butcher at a local grocery store, is a father to two children (ages 5 and 13) and a husband of 23 years.

The Red Cross in Greater New York would like to thank the following event sponsors for their generosity in helping to provide relief and hope throughout New York City and in nearly every corner of the globe:

INSPIRATION SPONSOR: Friese Foundation
PRESENTING SPONSOR: Mastercard

For more information, to purchase tickets, or to sponsor the 2024 Heroes Gala, please visit: http://www.redcross.org/NYGala.

Headquartered in New York City, the American Red Cross in Greater New York serves more than 12 million people in New York City; on Long Island; in Rockland and Westchester counties; at the US Military Academy at West Point and in Greenwich, Conn. We respond to approximately seven emergencies and disasters a day across the region — home fires, floods, building collapses — and more, providing shelter, food, clothing and emotional support at no cost to those in need. Read more about the Red Cross Mission.