On Wednesday, April 9, the American Red Cross will honor community members from San Joaquin County who have performed extraordinary acts of courage. These outstanding individuals will be recognized at the Annual Heroes Breakfast at Wine & Roses in Lodi, beginning at 7:30am.
This annual event pays special tribute to local everyday heroes who have performed heroic acts. This year’s honorees were nominated by members of the community for such selfless deeds as saving lives, performing First Aid/CPR, providing support to military veterans, and much more.
As a community leader in emergency preparedness, prevention and response, the Red Cross Capital Region is proud to honor the following Heroes of San Joaquin County, who have taken action in a time of crisis to help others and show extraordinary human compassion:
Animal Rescue Hero
· Thor (Stockton) – During pursuit, K-9 officer Thor apprehended and disarmed a suspect, allowing fellow officers to take suspect into custody.
Good Samaritan Hero - Adult
· Donnie Navidad (Stockton) – While at an Oakland Raiders game, Mr. Navidad broke the fall of a woman who had jumped from the stadium’s upper deck, saving her life.
Good Samaritan Hero - Senior
· Don Aguillard (Stockton) – Founder of Central Valley Neighborhood Harvest, a project dedicated to providing fresh produce to those in the community who are sick, elderly, and/or disabled.
Good Samaritan Hero - Youth
· Abbigail Hickman (Tracy) – Began ‘Pins for Pets’, a fundraising bowling tournament supporting animals at the Tracy Animal Shelter. With a goal to raise $1,500, the 9 year old 4th grade student raised $7,000 in the tournament’s first year.
Law Enforcement Hero
· Officer Joe Silva (Stockton) – While off duty and at Valentine’s Day dinner with his family, Officer Silva disarmed a gunman and held him until uniformed officers arrived to make arrest.
Medical Professional Hero
· James Myers (Lodi) – A Physicians Assistant, donates time to the Walter E. Reiss Outreach Clinic, providing free medical services to those who lack insurance and/or access to care.
Military Hero (Active Duty)
· Sgt First Class Caesar Cardenas (Stockton) – A combat medic and Bronze Star recipient in the US Army currently serving his fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Military Hero (Veteran)
· Barney LaRue (Stockton) – Mr. LaRue is a 35 year volunteer with the American Legion, spending time working with other veterans in hospitals and rest homes and participating in a number of veteran service programs.
Professional Rescuer Hero
· Rob White, Bryan Kendall, Craig Jones, and Gina Jones (Manteca) – Registered nurse Gina Jones, and husband Craig, an off-duty Captain for Lathrop-Manteca Fire District, responded to rescue a 2-year toddler who had fallen into a pool and was unresponsive. They joined fire dept. engineer, Rob White, and Manteca firefighter Kendall in performing CPR and successfully revived the child.
Spirit of the Red Cross
· Shara Styles and Tracey Roletto (Lodi) – Created the group “Lodi Strong” in support of the 9-year old sole survivor of a car accident that claimed the lives of the child’s parents and siblings. This group continues to support others impacted by devastating events.
Workplace Hero
· Don Stone and Julian Ochoa (Manteca) – Employees of Costco in Manteca, Mr. Stone and Mr. Ochoa responded to a call that someone had collapsed and stopped breathing. The two administered CPR and used an AED to revive to victim.
Hero of the Year
· Jerron Jordan (Stockton) – Founded the First 50, a program at Stockton’s Franklin High School, which aims to bring positive change to the community and give young people the opportunity and skills to be active community leaders.
In addition to honoring local heroes, the Red Cross will also recognize the winners of the Hero Essay Contest – a contest conducted among local K-12 students in which participants wrote about their hero and what makes them heroic.
This year’s essay contest winners are:
· K-6: Sarisha Jacobs 6th Grade, Ben Holt College Preparatory Academy Stockton, CA
· 7-12: Tawny Hine 12th Grade, Lincoln High School Stockton, CA 12:
Tickets to this inspiring event are available and may be
purchased online.
Proceeds from the luncheon will support the critical disaster relief services provided by the American Red Cross Capital Region as well as critical Red Cross training programs which help prepare our community members to respond in times of emergency.
WHAT: Annual Red Cross Heroes Breakfast
WHERE: Wine & Roses
2505 West Turner Road
Lodi, CA 95242
WHEN: Wednesday, April 9, 2014
7:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.