On Tuesday, June 2, nearly 300 people gathered to support the Red Cross and to honor local heroes and volunteers at the “Celebrating Community Heroes” event in Loveland.
See photos from the event on our flickr page.
Meet our heroes:
Betty Kaan: Everyday Hero
Betty Kaan was honored as a 7News 7Everyday Hero recently for her commitment to the mission of the American Red Cross and her commitment to her community, as shown during the flooding of 2013. Betty is always prepared and always making sure the Red Cross is ready to respond to disasters. Betty has been a volunteer for 7 years and has established herself as a backbone of the chapter not just for what she herself does, but also as an inspiration to others. Her positivity and compassion make her a most valuable asset to not only the Red Cross, but to the community she serves.
Commitment to Community Award: Weld Recovers, House in a Box Project
As our community began the long journey or recovering from the 2013 floods, individuals and organizations gathered to coordinate recovery. Weld Recovers united government, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations with the innovative “House in a Box” project to provide for Colorado families in need. A House in a Box offers a family new furniture, box springs and mattresses, dining sets, and essential household items like pots, pans, sheets and towels. After the floods, Weld Recovers recognized many families were finding new housing but needed these items to make that new house a home. The program helped more than 100 families in just one year. It is another step in the path to recovery for those affected.
Professional Lifesaver – Sgt. Zachary St. Aubyn
Sgt. Zach St. Aubyn of the Greeley Police Department was called to the scene of a raging house fire expecting to help direct traffic and assist the firefighters. However, the fire department had not yet arrived when he got to the scene. He realized that he was the only one who could help evacuate the residents of the house. He ran into the house, as smoke billowed out, to locate the three people trapped inside. His choice to protect the citizens he has sworn to serve saved the lives of the three disoriented occupants who were trapped inside in the burning house. The American Red Cross is honoring Zach St. Aubyn as a Professional Lifesaver for his extraordinary heroism in the face of an emergency.
Adult Lifesavers – Cole Cunningham & Tim Frank
On May 8, 2014, relatives Tim, Dan and Paul Frank were working in a field southwest of Johnstown when they were electrocuted by a section of irrigation pipe that had come into contact with a power line. Tim became conscious shortly after the accident and saw that his brother and his cousin were in much worse condition. He began CPR on Dan, and called 911 for help. A longtime friend, Cole Cunningham, was driving by and noticed Tim stumbling, talking on his cell phone. Cole rushed to action, remembering his CPR training, and began CPR on Paul. Tim continued to tend to his brother, Dan, until the Johnstown-Milliken fire department arrived. Tim, Dan, Paul and Frank are all alive today, thanks to Tim and Cole’s quick thinking and American Red Cross CPR training.
Spirit of the Red Cross – The Lauren Project
Lauren Moilien Johnson was a master’s candidate in international human rights at the Joseph Korbel School of International Studies. On January 5, 2009, just days before she was to depart to lead a delegation of graduate students to Israel for internships with various human rights organizations, Lauren lost her life from carbon monoxide poisoning. She was 23 years old.
Inspired by Lauren’s commitment to helping others from a young age, friends and family worked through their grief to start “The Lauren Project.” This nonprofit fights for legislation requiring every home to be protected with a carbon monoxide detector, in Colorado and beyond. The Lauren Project also seeks to educate the public about carbon monoxide, an invisible threat and has helped distribute thousands of carbon monoxide alarms.
To further honor Lauren, The Lauren Project also provides grants to young people like Lauren who want to make a difference in the world. These volunteers have worked in orphanages, medical clinics, slums and more to help children and adults and make the world a better place, so today we honor The Lauren Project as heroes who exemplify the Spirit of the Red Cross.