Red Cross Heroes Of The Year Honored

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Red Cross Heroes Of The Year Honored
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RED CROSS HEROES OF THE YEAR HONORED

Honolulu, HI: The Hawaii State Chapter of the American Red Cross will be honoring their Heroes of the Year during the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast on October 15, 2011, at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

The kind, courageous, and selfless deeds of these heroes are directly linked to the Red Cross mission of preventing and alleviating human suffering. These inspiring individuals demonstrate that inside each human being is a hero, ready to step up to the plate and assist those in need. Hawaii News Now will be recognizing this week as Red Cross Heroes Week; for more information, please go to www.hawaiiredcross.org.

Community Heroes: Lifesaver Hero – Carl Loando; Military Hero – Master Sergeant Chandra Davis; In the Line of Duty Hero – Wesley Pratt; Youth Hero – Althea Cunningham; Animal Hero – Mai Tai.

Volunteers of the Year Heroes: Oahu – Diane and Rick Phillips; East Hawaii – Joyce Memmer; West Hawaii – John Yates, III; Maui – Tom Worthington; Kauai – Elaine Albertson.

The Red Cross is a non-profit humanitarian organization which provides assistance for immediate emergency needs of those affected by disasters. All Red Cross assistance to disaster victims is free. The Red Cross is not a government agency but depends on public contributions to help others. Your gift supports the lifesaving mission of the American Red Cross in your community, across the country and around the world. To send a contribution, mail your check to:

American Red Cross

Hawaii State Chapter

4155 Diamond Head Road

Honolulu, HI 96816

Make a secure online donation at www.hawaiiredcross.org; or call: (808) 739-8109.

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WESLEY PRATT HONORED AS RED CROSS
IN THE LINE OF DUTY HERO OF THE YEAR

Honolulu, HI: October 10, 2011. Wesley Pratt will be honored as the 2011 Red Cross In the Line of Duty Hero of the Year at the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast on October 15, 2011. Hawaii News Now will be recognizing this week as Red Cross Heroes Week; for more information, please go to www.hawaiiredcross.org.

Wesley Pratt is a firefighter with the Honolulu Fire Department stationed at Unit 1519. On June 3, 2011, several Honolulu Fire Department units responded to a building fire in Haleiwa. The firefighters got the fire under control. Wesley and another firefighter were in the building moving paint cans and fuel containers when the other firefighter was shocked by a bolt of electricity and fell unconscious to the ground. Wesley immediately notified the other responders that someone was down and pulled the firefighter out of the building to safety. Wesley received multiple electrical shocks himself while dragging his partner out of the building to safety. Once outside, others rushed to assist the downed firefighter and medical treatment was given. Wesley risked his own life to save his fellow firefighter. Mahalo to Wesley for his heroic lifesaving actions in the line of duty.
CARL LOANDO HONORED AS
RED CROSS LIFESAVER HERO OF THE YEAR

Honolulu, HI: October 10, 2011. Carl Loando will be honored as the 2011 Red Cross Lifesaver Hero of the Year at the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast on October 15, 2011. Hawaii News Now will be recognizing this week as Red Cross Heroes Week; for more information, please go to www.hawaiiredcross.org.

On April 27, 2011, Carl Loando and his team of surveyors were on their way to a job when they noticed thick smoke and fire coming from a house. The team members called 911, while Carl approached the house and called out to see if anyone was in the home. The flames were visible and through thick smoke, Carl saw an elderly man in the carport looking into the home. The man tried to get his disabled wife in her wheelchair but was unsuccessful, and told Carl that she was in the hall. Without hesitation, Carl crawled 20 feet through the pouring smoke while calling out to the woman. He heard a voice saying “save me” and headed towards that direction where he located the woman. Carl heard glass shattering and wood creaking and noticed the heat was more intense. He stood up and dragged the woman to the door and down the wheelchair ramp. The woman’s oxygen tank stopped Carl from going farther so he yelled for help. Carl’s team member and passers-by took the woman away from the house and near the street while Carl caught his breath. Carl noticed the woman and his team members were standing below the power lines from the burning home and yelled for them to move away. Minutes later, the lines broke and landed in the area where they had been standing. Carl was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation. He risked his life to save a life.
CHANDRA DAVIS HONORED AS
RED CROSS MILTARY HERO OF THE YEAR

Honolulu, HI: October 10, 2011. Master Sergeant Chandra Davis will be honored as the 2011 Red Cross Military Hero of the Year at the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast on October 15, 2011. Hawaii News Now will be recognizing this week as Red Cross Heroes Week; for more information, please go to www.hawaiiredcross.org.

Master Sergeant Davis has made a major impact on the military and local communities in the short year she has been on Oahu. She is the Superintendent of Information Management Technology of the Medical Support Division, Office of the Command Surgeon, Pacific Air Forces at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Air Force Base. Master Sergeant Davis single-handedly implemented the first-ever Command Surgeon Command and Control Center in response to the disaster in Japan. This allowed for Air Force, Army and Navy medical collaboration with communication efforts as well as aided humanitarian relief for 25,000 people. Besides all that she does in her normal job, Master Sergeant Davis works with 12 organizations on base and around the community. Some of these organizations she has helped include Habitat for Humanity, USO, Safe Haven homeless shelter, AINA (Actively Integrating Nutrition and Agriculture in Schools), African American Diversity Cultural Center of Hawaii, Pacific Air Museum, Military Youth Action Council and Tuskegee Airmen. Her efforts have impacted military members, their families, youth and other members of our community.
DIANE AND RICK PHILLIPS HONORED AS
OAHU RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEAR

Honolulu, HI: October 10, 2010. Diane and Rick Phillips will be honored as the 2011 Oahu Red Cross Volunteers of the Year during the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast on October 15, 2011. Hawaii News Now will be recognizing this week as Red Cross Heroes Week; for more information, please go to www.hawaiiredcross.org.

Diane and Rick Phillips have been involved in the Red Cross for over two decades, with a special interest in providing immediate and temporary care for the community through Red Cross First Aid Stations. Diane and Rick became members of these first aid station teams that now provide this free service to organizations and groups that put on community events almost every weekend. They helped build a dynamic team of trained volunteers to serve the community, set guidelines and standards and organized the scheduling of seasoned volunteers. Under their leadership, first aid station teams are well organized and handle over 200 events each year. Since 1987, Diane and Rick have volunteered 30,000 combined hours of their time to the Red Cross, and are trained in CPR, first aid, including blood borne pathogen, and sports injury prevention. They provided bandages, iced sprains, applied pressure to bleeding wounds. The most unusual incident they assisted with was treating a victim of an alligator bite at the 50^th State Fair. The most life-changing incident was when they rendered aid to two victims of a horrific auto accident while on the way to man a first aid station at a community event.
ALTHEA CUNNINGHAM HONORED AS RED CROSS
YOUTH HERO OF THE YEAR

Honolulu, HI: October 10, 2011. Althea Cunningham will be honored as the 2011 Red Cross Youth Hero of the Year at the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast on October 15, 2011. Hawaii News Now will be recognizing this week as Red Cross Heroes Week; for more information, please go to www.hawaiiredcross.org.

Six-year-old Althea Cunningham woke at 7:00 a.m. one morning last November to popping noises in her family’s Honolulu home. She looked out the front door and could feel heat coming from upstairs; she then saw flames coming from the upstairs unit and quickly alerted her mother. Because of her actions, she, her mom and sister were able to get out safely. They then woke up their neighbors to ensure the safety of all. Althea’s observations and actions saved the life of her family and neighbors. There are eight people who lived in that apartment complex who consider this young girl a hero.

MAI TAI HONORED AS
RED CROSS ANIMAL HERO OF THE YEAR

Honolulu, HI: October 10, 2011. Mai Tai will be honored as the 2011 Red Cross Animal Hero of the Year at the Red Cross Heroes Breakfast on October 15, 2011. Hawaii News Now will be recognizing this week as Red Cross Heroes Week; for more information, please go to www.hawaiiredcross.org.

In October 2010, Mai Tai, a poi dog who is part Corgi, Shiba Inu and Chihuahua, became an American Red Cross Human Animal Bond dog. She provides therapy to patients at the Tripler Army Medical Center two to three times a week, along with her handler Mary Conklin. Mai Tai has a calming effect on children and adults and knows how to put them at ease. She has an interest in children and has a special knack for settling down cranky children and putting them to bed. She is also drawn to people in wheelchairs and walkers. In less than two years, Mai Tai has volunteered over 500 hours at Tripler, bringing joy and comfort to the patients there. Mai Tai is also a certified Therapy Dog, a service dog to Mary and is involved in other pet therapy associations on the island. Mai Tai is also involved in helping people in other ways. She is in the Army’s “Read to the Dogs” program at Aliamanu Military Reservation Library and enjoys listening to the stories and looking at the pictures. This helps children’s reading and communication through the powerful method of reading to a trained service dog. Mai Tai is also a Turtle Guardian, helping Mary greet tourists who come to see the turtles at Lanikai Beach.

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