The American Red Cross recognizes that heroes come in all shapes and sizes and that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. At the annual Celebrating Community Heroes Dinner that was held at the Colorado State University in Fort Collins, June 1, 2016, those heroes were recognized for their significant contribution to the community or to the lives of others. The Red Cross presented four awards honoring local heroes during the American Red Cross Celebrating Community Heroes Dinner.
The Heroes Dinner is a celebration of the Red Cross spirit as exemplified in lifesaving heroes in Colorado. A cutting-edge, unique evening of inspiration and entertainment, the Soiree is also the American Red Cross of Northern Colorado Area’s largest fundraiser of the year.
ABOUT THE HEROES
Professional Lifesaver: Weld County Deputy Sheriff Christopher Bashkov and Weld County Deputy Sheriff Dayle Rosebrock saved the lives of separate victims in Greeley less than six months apart. In each incident, the individual overdosed on heroin, which is increasing in popularity in today’s drug culture. Both rescuers responded to their calls, code three, which is the most urgent response. The officers arrived prior to fire or ambulance response which required them to use their extensive training to save two lives. Neither victim was breathing or had a pulse when help arrived, but responded to CPR and were saved. Thanks to these two Deputy Sheriffs, these lives were saved and there is an increased awareness on this growing problem.
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| Christopher Bashkov |
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| Dayle Rosebrock |
Spirit of the Red Cross: The Greeley Fire Department wanted to improve their save rates and help Greeley become a Heart Safe City. For a city to qualify for this status, it is evaluated on the rate of fatal heart attacks, number of people trained in CPR and number of AEDs (Automatic External Defibrillator) available to the citizens in the city. Through the increased training, these individuals felt it was important that city employees, members of the fire department and any other interested individuals, would have the opportunity to be trained in CPR/AED. Every time they had a class, they had more students than they could handle, showing the commitment of Greeley to become a Heart Safe City.
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| Janice Perekrestenko |
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| Lt. Bill Diershow |
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| Susan Frame |
Commitment to Community: Larimer County Search and Rescue (LCSAR) is one of those organizations you may not know about, but is ready to help you if you need them. They provide search and rescue services throughout Larimer County and are called into action almost every week of the year. Performing their services in the rugged mountains as well flatlands of the Front Range takes a cadre of members willing to put their lives in harm’s way to help others. Each member of LCSAR undergoes hundreds of hours of training and carries a large variety of equipment to each rescue, as they never know exactly what they will encounter on the scene. A common misperception is that these services are expensive but you will never see a bill if you need Larimer County Search and Rescue; this is a volunteer group that gives their time just because they value the lives they same.
Volunteer Lifesaving Award: On July 15, 2015, Tabatha Lang, Thomas Lang and Matthew Rundle heard screams from the beach of Lake Windsor. Tabatha and Thomas Lang starting to assist a 3-year-old child who was not breathing, Matthew Rundle, an off-duty Eaton Police Officer, could see that the Langs needed help in this uncontrolled scene. He stepped in, moving the crowd back to a safe distance and allowing Tabatha and Thomas to start a rescue. The 3-year-old was not breathing, but still had a pulse. It was critically low at 80 beats per minute. Tabatha monitored the child’s pulse and Thomas gave rescue breaths until the child coughed up lake water. Matthew had cleared a path to the child and led rescue personnel to the scene.
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| Matthew Rundle |
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| Tabitha Lang |
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| Thomas Lang |