2015 Colorado Springs Hometown Heroes: Doing What’s Right!

By Leila Roche

Heroes come in many forms. They are from all walks of life and from every profession. Some are trained to respond to emergencies while others just seize the moment and take action. Some heroes save lives and some heroes affect lives and communities.

To celebrate the legacy of some of those heroes, more than 350 supporters gathered to honor them at the Antlers Hilton in Colorado Springs, Colo., March 19 for the 2015 Colorado Springs Hometown Heroes awards dinner hosted by the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Each year, the Pikes Peak Chapter accepts nominations from the community for our Hometown Heroes award to honor those who have saved a life or helped make a life better within the last 18 months. This year, 10 individuals and groups were recognized as our 2015 heroes across nine categories – each with their own story.

The Hometown Heroes dinner began with entertainment provided by In the Stairwell, an a capella singing group from the U.S. Air Force Academy that also sang the national anthem as the El Paso County Sheriff Honor Guard presented the colors. Joe Cole, news anchor from KXRM-Fox21, was the master of ceremonies and paid tribute to each award winner as they were presented with hero medals, certificates and framed newsprint provided by the Gazette.

“This is such a great event,” said Patty Baxter, a member of the Pikes Peak Chapter board of directors and a longtime supporter of the Red Cross. “I love attending and being part of this wonderful organization.”

The event would not have been possible without the generous sponsorship of our partners and those who pledged to support the Red Cross. With their help, we are honored to be able to recognize those people who have done extraordinary things in our community.

“What is the difference between Spartans and the rest of the Greeks? All Greeks know what is right, but only Spartans do it,” said Thomas Gonzalez, executive director of the Pikes Peak Chapter of the American Red Cross. “Like the Spartans, let’s not stand by when the community is in need. Let’s do [what is right.]”

Thank you to our heroes, our sponsors and our many supports for helping continue the tradition of doing what is right.

–          Flickr: See professional photos from the event

–          Twitter:Follow our hashtag #ColoradoSpringsHometownHeroes to see posts and photos (and follow us at @PPRedCross to show your support!).

–          Facebook: Check out our albumof the event and follow our hashtag #ColoradoSpringsHometownHeroes! 

       Don’t forget to “like” us and tag yourself or someone you know in our photos!