As a Community Schools Coordinator for the Union-Endicott School District, Kashif Summers (“Chief”) works with at-risk elementary students and their families.  He supports them in academics, social-emotional needs and more, working with students both in school and at their homes.  Chief motivates students to be “doers” and not “triers.”  In addition to his mentoring efforts, he also plans and conducts a community barbeque for families which includes haircuts, book bags and fun.  At the holiday, Chief orchestrated a holiday gift campaign that assisted hundreds of children.

Eddie Gee, a Binghamton City School District physical education teacher and boys’ modified basketball coach, saved an electrician who was being electrocuted by disengaging the man from a live wire.  Eddie was coaching an athletic team during a sporting event when he heard someone in distress. By following his instincts and reacting quickly, he was able to break the man free.  911 was called and responded, and Eddie returned to his team’s game.

Fire Chief Jeff Hontz and Amber Hontz, West Corners Fire Company volunteers, went above and beyond when responding to an EMS call where the incident happened to be right in their neighborhood. Fire Chief Hontz and Amber, a 12- year paramedic, reacted quickly and were first on the scene, talking with the patient who was having trouble breathing. As they were assessing his situation, the patient collapsed and became unresponsive.  With no heartbeat detected, they began CPR and used the AED. Thirty seconds later, when the ambulance crew arrived, the patient was responsive and talking. No doubt Fire Chief Jeff Hontz and Amber Hontz’s actions changed the final outcome of this incident.

Deputy Hlebica responded to a house fire at a group home on Pulaski Street in the Town of Dickinson in Broome County.  When he arrived, a staff member informed him that one person was still in the residence and refused to leave.  Deputy Hlebica entered the smoke-filled home, crawling on his hands and knees, locating a 68-year-old developmentally-disabled resident in the dining room.  Fortunately, Deputy Hlebica was able to hold on to the resident and escort him from the residence to safety. Had it not been for Deputy Hlebica’s quick thinking and heroic actions, the resident would have succumbed to the fire

Binghamton Fire Captain J.C. Colling and Firefighter Jim Root responded to a 911 cell phone call from a man who was lost in a sewer pipe.  Captain J. began the search through a 5’ diameter drainage pipe.  With increased risk due to unknown direction, distance, and no radio communication with above-ground units, Captain J. and Firefighter Jim Root continued down the pipe at a crouch.  Using a procedure to “ping” cell phones when they reached open grates in an effort to plot rescuers in relation to the victim, they were able to successfully locate and reach the cold and shivering victim. After 44 minutes underground and nearly a mile of travel, Captain J. and Firefighter Jim Root exited the pipe with the unsteady victim alive and well.

Courtney Brock rescues equines and loans them to her 4H Club members who do not have access to their own horses so that they may show them locally.  The youth not only experience horse care and showing, but develop responsibility, compassion, a strong work ethic, self-confidence, tolerance and leadership skills in the process. Courtney volunteers countless hours rescuing, training, rehabbing and caring for her miniature horses and generously shares the fruits of her labor with her “kids,” some of whom have learning and/or physical disabilities.  Her actions have especially helped during stressful times, providing a positive outlet for growth and happiness.

It began in the 1980s when Vincent Sano, General Manager of Traditions at the Glen, Hotel and Spa, first donated blood.  This action of helping others has continued over the years as Vincent is a regular platelet donor. His dedication to helping others developed into a workplace event last year when Vincent “repurposed” the Traditions’ ballroom into a blood donation center during the chaotic start of the pandemic.  By providing space in a perfect location, 19 blood drives were held, collecting more than 342 pints of blood equaling 1,026 lives saved. Without Vincent’s support, diligence and compassion, the Red Cross would not have the blood supply needed for hospitals and patients in need.

After a massive snowstorm that dropped 44” of snow in Tioga County, Zone Sergeant Cawley was advised that numerous 911 calls over many hours had been received from an individual who stated he had run his vehicle off the road, was stuck and needed assistance. Previous patrols were unable to locate the vehicle due to the large amount of snow.  The victim’s calls were eventually traced to a general area of the highway and Sergeant Cawley checked the 7-foot-high snowbanks every thirty to forty yards. Hoping to better orient himself with a mailbox address, he dug to find a house number. Continuing his persistence, Sergeant Cawley located the window of a car with the stranded motorist, buried in more than 4 feet of snow and unrecognizable from other snow banks.  The car had no heat and the driver was suffering from hypothermia and frostbite; emergency medical was summoned.

Cayuga Health System physicians, nurses, staff and community volunteers had extraordinary roles meeting the challenges of the pandemic since the first case of COVID-19 was recorded in Tompkins County.  More than 60 volunteers joined a medical mission team and spent a month in New York City to help hospitals treat the surge of COVID patients. Also in this community-wide effort, volunteers, community health agencies, local health care providers, and academic institutions joined to produce and procure personal protective equipment and supplies, open a mass testing program, fabricate face shields and open a vaccination clinic early in the process.

A 6-person team at the Afton Central School worked together to save a fellow colleague who had passed out in the teachers’ room.  Sara Halbert assisted by catching her fellow teacher and lowering her to the floor, Cheryl Carr retrieved the AED, Theresa Berkeley and Nancy Moffitt called 911, and Tracy Simmons (the school nurse) began CPR with assistance from Daryl Decker, the patient’s brother and a teacher at the school.  Two teachers had previously taught all 750 Afton staff, teachers and students CPR, which no doubt helped provide the training that led to this life-saving action.

While cleaning brush from a property, a major accident occurred when a co-worker of Brian W. Gill, Clayton R. Misner and Nicholas J. Fyfe’s caught his leg in a wood chipper. In quick-thinking action, they put the machine in reverse, brought the victim to the ground, called 911 and used a belt as a makeshift tourniquet to reduce bleeding.  Trooper Mitchell B. Reed arrived at the scene, affixed a patrol-issued tourniquet and rendered aid until EMS personnel arrived and transported the victim to the hospital for treatment. If not for the quick, thoughtful actions of all parties, the victim may not have survived his injuries.

COVID-19 changed things for Sneha Poranki, a Vestal School District eighth-grader.  Her idea of working on a “sensory room” at United Health Services Senior Living at Ideal couldn’t happen as she wasn’t able to enter the nursing home to do the project.  This didn’t keep Sneha from helping. She launched a new idea, collecting donated electronic devices such as iPads and providing them for use with residents who were unable to enjoy in-person visits.  This doubled the facility’s capacity for residents and families to stay in touch during a difficult time, decreasing isolation and loneliness.