15th Annual

Real Heroes Breakfast

Ordinary People... Extraordinary Courage In an instant, real people become Real Heroes.

December 4, 2013

AMERICAN RED CROSS, CENTRAL NEW YORK CHAPTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS Rita Reicher, KS&R, Inc.– Chapter Chair Andrew March, Berkshire Bank - Vice Chair Dave Johnson, King+King, Architects, LLP - Secretary Ashley Hayes, Hancock Estabrook, LLP Philantrophy Commitee Chair Dot Hall, Sports Physical Therapy of New York, PC Service Delivery Committee Chair Anthony Dannible, Dannible & McKee, LLP Jed Delmonico, Delmonico Insurance Agency Sam Elbadawi, Sugarman Law Firm, LLP Jeffrey Fetter, Scolaro, Shulman, Cohen, Fetter & Burnstein, P.C. Rae Fulkerson, CNY Central Robert Just, Blue Ocean Strategic Capital, LLC Patrick Powers, D’ Arcangelo & Co., LLP Renae Rokicki, SUNY Upstate Medical University Joseph Vitale, Seneca Federal Savings and Loan Association Kevin Wisely, Onondaga County Emergency Management

Real Heroes Breakfast Committee Renae Rokicki, SUNY Upstate - Chair Erin Crolick, SUNY Upstate Tom Czajak, American Red Cross, Central New York Ashley Hayes, Hancock Estabrook, LLP Andrew March, Berkshire Bank Judy Pollman, American Red Cross, Central New York Rosie Taravella, American Red Cross, Central New York

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS



7:30 am - 9:00 am



PRESENTATION OF COLORS 174th Fighter Wing Honor Guard





BAGPIPER



MASTERS OF CEREMONIES Megan Coleman, CNY Central & Mark Larson, Time Warner Cable News

PROCESSION OF AMERICAN RED CROSS VOLUNTEERS & STAFF “Simple Gifts”

WELCOME Rita Reicher, Board Chair Renae Rokicki, Real Heroes Breakfast Commmitee Chair Rosie Taravella, Regional Chief Executive Officer



PROCESSION OF HEROES “Summon the Heroes”

BREAKFAST AWARD PRESENTATIONS Megan Coleman, CNY Central & Mark Larson, Time Warner Cable News

A RED CROSS STORY Dave & Lee Webber CLOSING Rita Reicher, Board Chair Rosie Taravella, Regional Chief Executive Officer

RECESSION OF HEROES “God Bless America”

CELEBRATING THE HEROES AMONG US — PEOPLE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE Animal Rescue Award Francis Geremia Last winter, Francis Geremia, of Syracuse, was walking along the Onondaga Creekwalk in Syracuse with his beagle, Snoopy, looking for bald eagles. Francis, a wildlife photographer, knows that eagles seek out fish in the open water near the Syracuse Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant and sometime settle in the trees along Onondaga Creek. Francis and Snoopy came upon a red-tailed hawk that was dangling upside down in a tree; its leg was snared by a fishing line wrapped around a branch that hung above the water. Crows were diving and darting at the helpless hawk. Normally, Francis doesn’t interfere with nature. But in this case, Francis was bothered that human carelessness – discarding a fishing line – would be responsible for the death of the hawk. Since he couldn’t reach the branch, he started tossing snowballs at the crows to distract them. While the crows turned away and started screaming at Francis, the branch gave way and the hawk burst loose and flew away. For Francis, this wasn’t a case of letting nature take its course. His heroic actions that day allowed the hawk to fight for another day.

Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: Tammy Holden, Communications Manager Entergy’s James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant is located on the southeast shore of Lake Ontario in the town of Scriba, approximately seven miles east-northeast of the City of Oswego. FitzPatrick’s more than 600 employees live throughout Central NY communities. Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy Corporation has annual revenues of more than $10 billion and more than 15,000 employees.

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Education Award

Jeff Draper, Campus Peace Officer; Josh Cantello, Information Aide; Mary Buchal, Information Aide; Dan Aldrich, Campus Peace Officer On March 23, an elderly male suffered a severe heart attack while at the IGNITE Catholic Men’s Conference at SRC Arena on the campus of Onondaga Community College. As part of the Campus Safety and Security team, Dan Aldrich, Mary Buchal, Josh Cantello and Jeff Draper were trained in life-saving skills that were needed that day to save the man’s life. In less than one minute, Josh, an Information Aide who was in the building as a Fire Marshall, and Campus Peace Officers Dan and Jeff responded to the scene and started performing CPR with the use of an AED. Meanwhile, Information Aide Mary handled all of the emergency communications until EMS arrived. The man was transported to University Hospital, where his condition stabilized. The doctors involved in his treatment said the immediate actions taken by the Campus Safety and Security staff were critical to his survival. “I have commended my staff on their excellent response, professional conduct and being instrumental in saving this individual’s life,” said Doug Kinney, Vice President of Campus Safety and Security at Onondaga Community College.

Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: Jim Reed, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, is part of a family of companies that finances and delivers vital health care services to 1.9 million people across upstate New York. Excellus BlueCross BlueShield provides access to high-quality, affordable health coverage, including valuable health-related resources that our members use every day, such as cost-saving prescription drug discounts and wellness tracking tools in our Step Up program. To learn more, visit excellusbcbs.com.

Military Award Tech Sgt. Brian Matthews Tech Sgt. Brian Matthews and his wife were walking their dog in their hometown of Clay one night last February when they heard a beeping sound. It was a smoke alarm, and they saw smoke coming from the house across the street where nine people live. Brian, a member of the 174th Attack Wing’s Communication Squadron Quality Assurance team at Hancock Field Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, told his wife to call 9-1-1 and ran to the house. As he approached the home, Brian saw a mother and her two children hanging their heads out of a second-floor window to keep from inhaling smoke. Brian ran across the street to get his ladder, and his 15-year-old son, Nicolas, carried the ladder across the street. They put it up to house and evacuated the three people who were trapped upstairs. The other six members of the household also escaped unharmed. “With us being in the military, it’s in our nature to be alert at all times,” Brian told Air Force Print News. By being alert and acting fast, Brian and his son were real heroes who saved the lives of a mother and her two children. Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: Toni Athans Program Manager As a responsible corporate citizen, Lockheed Martin plays an active role in helping to strengthen the quality of life in our country and the communities we call home. The Corporation contributes generously to initiatives and non-profit organizations nationally, regionally and locally. Employees also donate countless volunteer hours to advance a wide variety of causes. Lockheed Martin strives to be a valued partner to neighbors and the nation. To this end, our community relations program reflects the values that are embodied in our employees and intrinsic to the Lockheed Martin culture.

Law Enforcement Award Fulton Police Offier Gary Percival and Kiernan O’Neil For Fulton Police Officer Gary Percival, the first time was the charm. Officer Percival, who in 7 ½ years as a policeman had never had to perform CPR other than in training, was sitting in his patrol car one day last June when he heard a call on the police scanner. Just up the road from where he was parked in Fulton, Jen O’Neil had lost consciousness and her 9-year-old son, Kiernan, told his neighbor to call 9-1-1. Officer Percival heard the call and when he arrived, Jen wasn’t breathing and he immediately started CPR that revived Jen, who made a complete recovery. First responders say in a life-threatening situation like that one, the first few minutes make all the difference. “If it wasn’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be here. I really appreciate everything he did,” Jen told CNY Central. For his part, Officer Percival said the real hero was Kiernan, who made the call that enabled Officer Percival to save his mother’s life. “He was upset and emotional, but he was the clear thinker that day,” Officer Percival said of Kiernan.

Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: Paul Swift, Manager – Engineering Constellation Energy Nuclear Group, LLC (CENG), is a joint venture between Constellation Energy and EDF Group. CENG is one of the U.S. premier nuclear power plant owners and operators, demonstrating that nuclear power is reliable, costeffective and environmentally friendly. CENG’s nuclear power strategy balances the present with the future and continuously works to safely improve production at its five operating nuclear units.

9-1-1 Dispatch Award Tiffany Hotaling

On July 3, while working as a call taker for the Onondaga County Department of Emergency Communications, Public Safety Dispatcher Tiffany Hotaling received a call from a frantic male saying that one of his co-workers had been electrocuted. The man said his co-worker was unconscious and not breathing. Tiffany calmed the caller and started to provide instructions so he could perform CPR. At the same time, Tiffany relayed all of the pertinent information about the victim to emergency responders. She stayed on the line with the caller for 7 minutes and 36 seconds until the responders arrived. The responders confirmed that the victim was in full cardiac arrest and they continued to perform CPR while transporting him to the hospital, where medical staff re-established a pulse and the victim started breathing again. Thanks to Tiffany’s ability to stay calm and relay crucial information to the victim’s co-worker, the man was released from the hospital and made a full recovery.

Award Sponsor:

M&T has long operated as a community bank which understands the vitality of its communities is crucial to their continued success.That’s why M&T Bank - and it’s employees - take active roles in their communities. The M&T Charitable Foundation funds a wide range of community-based organizations. In 2011, M&T contributed over $17.4 million to more than 4,100 organizations. M&T employees also participated in 5,100 volunteer service events to benefit others in our communities.

Adult Good Samaritan Award Michael Vaughn

Deborah Dromms, Kevin McLaughlin, Kelly Vaughn One day after completing a triathlon, Michael Vaughn, of Clay, found himself in a race to save a man’s life. On Aug. 19, Michael’s mother, Kelly, noticed a neighbor from the house behind her yard jumping in and out of her pool and using a skimmer to try to pull something from the bottom. Kelly told Michael, who was packing to go back to the University of Buffalo, that it appeared the woman needed help. Using a stool, Michael jumped a six-foot fence and found a man stuck at the bottom of the pool. Meanwhile, neighbors Kevin McLaughlin and Deborah Dromms ran to the house as Kevin called 9-1-1. Michael dove in, pushed the man to the surface and, with Kevin and Deborah’s help, pulled the man out of the pool. The man had stopped breathing, so Michael, who in July was certified by the American Red Cross in CPR, and Deborah, a nurse, performed CPR for several cycles before the man started breathing. The man, who was visiting from Costa Rica, was in critical condition but survived because the neighbors were alert, acted fast and put their training to use when it mattered most.

Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: Robert Tackman Branch Manager, Dey’s & Midler Branch Established in 1934, today SEFCU is among the 50 largest credit unions in the U.S. with 260,000 members and more than 40 branches in the Capital Region, Binghamton, Syracuse, and Buffalo. SEFCU employees are committed to making a difference and participate in many community fundraising activities to benefit those in need.

Fire Rescue Award Cicero Fire Chief Jon Barrett

Judy and Ron Lafaver, Don Miller, Eric Ungleich, & Cicero Police Sgt. John Baldini On the night of Oct. 4, 2012, Ron Lafaver saw lights flickering in the glass panels of his pantry and on the china cabinet doors in the dining room of his Cicero home. When he looked outside, Ron saw his neighbor’s house in flames. Ron called 9-1-1, while his wife, Judy, ran next door and yelled to her neighbors to get out of the house. Ron used a garden hose to fight the fire until firefighters arrived, while passersby Don Miller and Eric Ungleich stopped to help. Told that a boy was still inside the home, Don started kicking out the basement windows while Eric used a window screen to smash the second-story windows. When a 16-year-old boy poked his head out of a second-story window, Don, Eric, Cicero Police Sgt. John Baldini and Cicero Fire Chief Jon Barrett all helped to pull him out. He was the last of the five people who were in the burning home, and they all survived because of the heroic actions of their neighbors, two strangers and the first responders.

Award Sponsor:

The NYCM Insurance family, now in its fourth generation, continues to manage by providing the same service and security the company was built on over 100 years ago. Our Commitment to providing our policyholders the security of knowing NYCM Insurance is here to help them recover from events that might otherwise prevent them from realizing their hopes and dreams. Commitment to providing our policyholders the service they need if such unfortunate events should occur. This is our pledge to you.

Industrial Safety Award

Bill Brockway, William Godaire, Dan Hatch, Dave Holeck, Mary Martinek, Andrew Pozniak, Dawn Strong, Will Storey, Jason Vanderhoof At about 8 a.m. May 6, an employee at the HP Hood Company in Oneida walked into the warehouse office area and told Mary Martinek that he felt dizzy. Mary was going to take him to the emergency room and was about to use the radio to get help when the man slumped over. Another employee, Andrew Pozniak, was walking by and he and Mary placed the man on the floor. Bill Brockway, Dawn Strong and Jason Vanderhoof also came in to assist while Dan Hatch called 9-1-1 and the company’s First Aid Team. Will Storey responded and noticed the man was gasping for air and had no pulse. Will applied the AED pads to his chest, administered the shock and then started chest compressions. When the man didn’t respond and with Will exhausted, William Godaire started chest compressions until the EMTs arrived. Thanks to the heroic teamwork of the Hood employees and their first aid training, the man was conscious and semi-responsive when he was transported to the hospital.

Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: John R. Mosack, Executive Director, General Manager Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global BioPharma company firmly focused on its mission to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. Around the world, the medicines they discover help millions of people in their fight against cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis and psychiatric disorders.

Medical Award

Sarah Kohler, John Moakler, Liz Schmidt On Dec. 7, 2012, 21-year-old Oo Meh was at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse with 14 adults and 15 children as part of a Peace Inc. program that takes refugees on field trips around the community. Oo, whose family emigrated from Burma four years ago, was pregnant but not due until January. But while on the zoo trip, she went into labor near the bear exhibit as Christopher Brooks, an assistant Head Start teacher, called 9-1-1. While Rural/Metro Dispatcher Kathy North gave Christopher instructions to keep Oo comfortable, zoo employees Liz Schmidt, Sarah Kohler and John Moakler received calls on their radios alerting them to the impending birth. They rushed to Oo’s aid, bringing blankets. As Sarah and John offered support, Liz delivered the baby girl who was later named December Paw. She weighed just 4 pounds, 9 ounces but had a full head of hair and was completely healthy. Liz, Sarah and John received “Above and Beyond Award plaques” from Rural/Metro, and now they’ll receive Real Hero awards for their roles in safely bringing December Paw into the world under the most unusual circumstances.

Award Sponsors:

Award Presenters: Paul Kronenberg MD, CEO, Crouse Hospital Douglas G. Smith, Vice President for Development, St. Joseph’s Hospital Paul Seale, Chief Operating Officer, University Hospital

Crouse Hospital, Upstate Medical University and St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center Foundation have joined together in collaboration to sponsor the 2013 Medical Real Hero Award. Each and every day these three hospitals provide state-of-the-art care to our community, making us safer and stronger.

Blood Donor Award Jack Miller

Jack Miller, of Auburn, has donated blood since 1950 and has been a Blood Services Coordinator for the American Red Cross of Cayuga County since 1989. Each month, with the help of his dedicated volunteer team, Jack manages one of the few monthly drives in New York State. That drive at United Methodist Church in Auburn is affectionately known by Auburn residents as “Jack’s Drive,” and it routinely attracts an average of 100 donors. Let’s do the math . . . 100 donors a month . . . 1,200 donors a year . . . and each donor provides enough blood and blood products to save up to three lives. That’s 3,600 lives saved annually and 86,400 people who have received life-saving blood from “Jack’s Drive” since 1989. Add the number of people impacted by Jack’s personal blood donations for 63 years and you can see why Jack is a real hero to the people who have needed the blood.

Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: David Adsit Director of Pharmacy Operations The mission of the Kinney Drugs Foundations is to help people live healthier lives within the communities that are served by Kinney Drugs, Inc.. The Foundation began in June 2002. It is the philanthropic arm of Kinney Drugs, a leading community pharmacy and retail business in New York and Vermont. Since its inception, the Foundation has donated over $5 million to charities. Every dollar donated is guaranteed to help enrich the lives of many throughout our area. It’s our commitment to quality health care and quality of life for the people who make this region home.

Good Neighbor Award Alex Travis

Alex Travis, his 5-year-old sister, Grace, and their grandfather Gary Knupp were driving around rural Madison County looking at houses on Aug. 15, when they turned down Wescott Road in the town of Eaton and saw a car floating in Bradley Brook Reservoir. Alex, 17, unbuckled his seat belt, jumped out of the car and sprinted toward the reservoir. A 93-year-old man was trapped in the car, which was nosediving into the water. Alex, of Kirkville, dove into the water and swam to the car, now 15 yards from shore. Alex managed to find the man’s arm and unbuckle his seat belt. He wriggled his fingertips in the crack of the driver-side window and broke it apart. He then pulled the man through the window and kept the man’s head above water as he swam him back to the shore, where his grandfather helped pull the man onto land. The man was taken to the hospital as a precaution and released. “I would rather die trying to save someone’s life than live with the guilt of watching someone die when you could have done something about it,” Alex told The Post-Standard. Spoken like a real hero.

Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: Luke E. Fagan VP & Team Leader, Commercial Banking Community Bank, N.A. is the wholly-owned national banking subsidiary of Community Bank System, Inc.. Community Bank System, Inc, whose predecessor bank was the St. Lawrence National Bank, chartered in 1866, was incorporated as a registered bank holding company in 1983 and maintains its principal administrative office in DeWitt, New York. It is the second-largest commercial banking franchise headquartered in Upstate New York. It is also a full-service financial institution, offering complete consumer, business, and financial services.

Youth Good Samaritan Award Marshall Winn

Mindy Macera, of Watertown, and a friend were riding the shallow waves at the mouth of South Sandy Creek last Aug. 11 when the current pulled her about 100 yards from the shore and she wasn’t able to stay afloat with the undertow. While Mindy’s fiancé swam to her and tried to keep her head above the water, Mindy’s friend’s husband came out to help but also struggled to stay afloat. Then their “guardian angel” arrived: Marshall Winn, a 14-year-old, soon-to-be high school freshman from Camillus, was on shore with a Wave Runner watercraft, heard the screams for help, grabbed life jackets and jumped on his watercraft, which is similar to a Jet Ski. He tossed the life jackets to the struggling swimmers, then circled around so the four of them (Mindy, her fiancé, her friend’s husband and a fourth person who came to help) could grab on. He pulled the swimmers safely back to shore. According to Mindy, Marshall’s heroic actions saved their lives because, as she told The Post-Standard, she wouldn’t be alive “had it been 30 seconds longer.” Said real hero Marshall, “I was just glad to help out.”

Award Sponsor:

Award Presenter: Lynn Steenberg, President The goal of Sports Physical Therapy of New York is to return each individual to a life of maximum self-sufficiency by providing results-oriented treatment as pro-actively as possible in a caring and comfortable environment. Physical therapy facilities are state-of-the-art and conveniently located throughout New York State. Through the quality medical care provided by their knowledgeable staff at each center, more people have access to exceptional therapeutic care and the opportunity to resume the activities they love.

THANKS TO OUR MEDIA SPONSORS

THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTING SPONSOR Cygnus Management Foundation

THANKS TO OUR BENEFACTOR SPONSORS

A BURN S BROS AFFILI ATE

THANKS TO OUR BENEFACTOR SPONSORS

Rita L. Reicher, Pd.D.

TABLE SPONSORS Delmonico Associates, Inc. Dr. Larry E. Maher and Mrs. Pamela J. Youngs-Maher Friends of the Zoo HP Hood Onondaga Community College Judy Pollman General and Mrs. Paul A. Schempp Sugarman Law Firm LLP Rosie Taravella and Scott Goodrich The Oncenter The Rocklyn Companies Thompson & Johnson Equipment Co, Inc.

TABLE HOSTS

American Red Cross Blood Services, New York-Penn Region Debra Barney Tom Czajak Cathy Fida Pamela Gratton Debi Spencer

PATRONS



The Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS John D Marsellus Robert H Zimmer MD

IN-KIND SPONSORS

There When You Need Us In late June, severe floods damaged or destroyed more than 2,400 homes in the city of Oneida, Oneida County, Herkimer County and Montgomery County. About 300 American Red Cross volunteers from the Central New York Region were deployed for the relief effort. Here’s how they responded: • Red Cross volunteers provided shelter stays for 338 people. • Red Cross volunteers served 13,671 hot meals and 19,717 snacks. • Red Cross volunteers distributed 20,761 bulk items, 2,423 clean-up kits and 566 comfort kits. • Red Cross volunteers provided physical health services to 649 people and mental health counseling to 1,212 people. From home fires in Syracuse to floods the Mohawk Valley, Red Cross volunteers are always there when needed to fulfill the Red Cross mission of alleviating human suffering. To become a Red Cross volunteer, visit redcross.org/ny/syracuse/volunteer or call the Red Cross of Central New York at 234-2200 to schedule an appointment with Program Coordinator Jessica Renner.

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SPECIAL THANKS We would like to thank the following individuals and businesses for their kind and generous support so that costs can be kept to a minimum, thus providing more funds to be used for American Red Cross life-saving programs. Laura Hand, CNY Central, & Curtis Jeter, Time Warner Cable News Hero video segment production Megan Coleman, CNY Central & Mark Larson, Time Warner Cable News Emcees Visual Technologies Corporation Artistic support and guidance Stickley, Audi & Company Donation of the Heroes plaques Dinosaur BBQ Pre-event Dinner Gene Gissin & Frank McDowell Event photographers Hancock Field Air National Guard Base 174th Fighter Wing Honor Guard Maryanne Lewis Bag Piper American Red Cross Volunteers deployed for Mohawk Valley Flooding Banner Carriers Dellas Graphics Print Support American Red Cross Board Members, Staff & Volunteers Event Volunteers Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee

Save The Date! 16th Annual Real Heroes Breakfast Wednesday, December 3, 2014 7:30 am - 9:00 am Convention Center at the Oncenter MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE UPCOMING EVENTS! HOLIDAY HEROES BLOOD DRIVE Thursday, December 26 - Sunday, December 29th 9AM-5PM Monday, December 30 and Tuesday, December 31 10AM-4PM Located in the wing next to LensCrafters in the legacy section of Destiny USA Closest entrance / parking at Sports Authority purple parking Free long sleeve commemorative t-shirt to each presenting donor! Please make a donation appointment at 1-800-REDCROSS or online at redcrossblood.org Your donation can help save three lives! PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF EVENTS WWW.REDCROSS.ORG/CNY AMERICAN RED CROSS OF CENTRAL NEW YORK 344 WEST GENESEE STREET SYRACUSE, NY 13202 (315) 234-2200