Deadline for Nominations is Friday, June 23.

OAKLAND, CA (May 19, 2017) – The American Red Cross of the Bay Area is currently seeking nominations for our Alameda County Heroes Breakfast 2017. Over the years, the Alameda County Heroes Breakfast has presented awards to local heroes. These individuals exemplify the values and mission of the Red Cross by saving lives, performing an extraordinary act of compassion or making a significant positive difference in their communities.

Extraordinary acts of heroism occur in our community every day, and the people responsible for them could be your neighbors, coworkers, friends, or family members. Help us identify our local community heroes by completing the online nomination form below and spread the word!

The community is encouraged to nominate a hero at redcross.org/ALCOHeroes2017 for one of the following categories:

• Animal Rescue Hero: This award honors an animal that has protected a human in a time of need or is given to a person who has rescued an animal from a traumatic situation.
• Blood Services Hero: This award is given to someone who has played a major role in efforts to promote and build our community’s lifesaving blood supply or has been a part of scientific advancements to the biomedical community.
• Disaster Services Hero: This award is presented to an individual who has shown extraordinary heroism in response to a disaster or an emergency situation, providing relief through financial or voluntary assistance, or has significantly influenced their community’s disaster preparedness.
• First Responder Hero: This award is given to a professional first responder, such as police, deputy sheriffs, firefighters, search &rescue, or 911 dispatchers, whose lifesaving action or service to the community goes above and beyond the call of duty.
• Good Samaritan - Adult Hero: This award is given to an ordinary citizen (adult) who used life-saving skills (such as CPR, water or first aid) to assist or save the life of another in time of emergency or has made a significant impact in improving the well-being of their community.
• Good Samaritan - Youth Hero: This award is given to an ordinary citizen (youth) who used life-saving skills (such as CPR, water or first aid) to assist or save the life of another in time of emergency or has made a significant impact in improving the well-being of their community.
• International Services Hero: This award is presented to someone who has provided an outstanding service to the community in the field of international services including, not limited to, international humanitarian aid, refugee support, or restoring links within families separated by war, conflict, or disaster.
• Medical (Healthcare) Hero: This award is given to a medical or healthcare professional, such as physicians, paramedics, or nurses, whose life-saving actions or service to the community goes above and beyond the call of duty to saving/improving lives or treating illnesses.
• Service to the Armed Forces Hero: This award is given to someone who has provided exceptional support to service members, veterans, or their families or to a member of our armed forces (active, reserve, National Guard, retired, commissioned or non-commissioned) or whose life-saving action or service to the community went above and beyond the call of duty.

The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, June 23, 2017. 

Any of these categories can also be awarded as a posthumous award. Recipients of the 2017 Alameda County Heroes Awards will be selected by a committee of local community leaders. Committee members will consider the degree to which nominees' acts of heroism uphold the values of the American Red Cross and leave a lasting and positive impact on the residents of Alameda County. Award decisions are based in large part on the information provided by the nominator, so be detailed and include as much supporting material as possible. 

Criteria for Nominations:     

• All nominees must work or reside in Alameda County. The heroic actions may have occurred elsewhere.
• The heroic event must be either ongoing commitment to the community for more than one year or have occurred between May 1, 2016 to April 30, 2017.
• All nominees must be able to attend the Heroes Breakfast on Friday, September 15, 2017, and be willing to participate in video interviews and photographs for media and promotional reasons, unless it is a posthumous award.
• Nominations must be received no later than Friday, June 23, 2017.

Selected heroes will be honored at the Heroes Breakfast 2017 on Friday, September 15, 2017, at the Grandview Pavilion in Alameda. Visit redcross.org/ALCOHeroes2017 for more details on each of the 2017 Heroes Award categories, as well as the online nomination form. The website also includes information on how to purchase tickets and how to become a sponsor.

About the American Red Cross of the Bay Area

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please call 1-888-4-HELP-BAY (1-888-443-5722) or visit redcross.org/bayarea to learn more. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter.