Every day, we’re surrounded by heroes. Ordinary people with extraordinary courage. The American Red Cross Serving Orange County recently honored eleven unsung heroes at its second annual Orange County Heroes Luncheon on Wednesday, May 3 at Hotel Irvine.

The event, hosted by Doug Kolk of KTLA, aimed to recognize local individuals and organizations that embody the mission and spirit of the Red Cross by saving lives and creating safer, stronger and more resilient communities. Nearly 300 business leaders, elected officials, sponsors and organization supporters were in attendance for one unforgettable afternoon.

“Every day, we’re surrounded by heroes, but we don’t always know it. That’s why it’s such a huge honor to be able to recognize locals who have gone above and beyond to make our community a better place,” said Linda Voss, Regional CEO of the American Red Cross Desert to the Sea Region. “It’s all about recognizing the incredible feats of unsung heroes living and working in our community.”

The 2017 Heroes Luncheon honorees included:

·      Lifesaving Award – Bennett Jonas, San Clemente native

·      Animal Welfare Award – Tammy Osborn, OC Animal Care

·      Community Partner Award – Emergency Response Team at Kelley Blue Book, (headquarters located in Irvine, Calif.)

·      First Responder Award – Officers Jeremy Buraglia and Brandon Koenig, Orange County Sherrif’s Department

·      Military Award – Harry Humphries

·      Youth Award – Chaney Lieberman, Orange County Sherriff Explorer Post and President of TACK (Tacking Action Centered on Kids)

·      Humanitarian Award – Celebrity Chef Sir Bruno Serato of Catrina’s Club and Anaheim White House Restaurant

·      Blood Services Award – Steven Pierce, long-time blood donor of 31 years

·      Lifetime Contribution Award – Captain Steven Concialdi, Orange County Fire Authority

·      Committee’s Choice Award – Captain Stephen Horner, Orange County Fire Authority

·      Certificate of Merit Award – Jere Greene, American Red Cross Volunteer 

This year’s Heroes Luncheon raised over $80,000 for the American Red Cross Serving Orange County and was made possible by the generous support of event sponsors, including: A Little Help Foundation, Alliance HealthCare Services, Ayco, Cox Automotive, Chevron, City of Santa Ana, Kelley Blue Book, Nixon Peabody LLP, Nationwide Insurance, PIMCO, PricewaterhouseCoopers, State Farm Insurance and Taco Bell, among others.