Ready to help, every day
Published 1:29 pm Wednesday, December 7, 2011
This morning, roughly 1,000 people will gather in the Orca Ballroom at the Tulalip Resort Casino for the 16th Annual Snohomish County Red Cross Real Heroes breakfast. This popular event offers an opportunity for our communities to collectively applaud individuals and groups for their heroic acts over the past year.
Whether they are public safety professionals who put their skills and training to work or Good Samaritans who stepped up to do what they could to help, the recipients of the Real Heroes Awards are more than worthy of this moment in the public spotlight. Snohomish County is a richer place because of these individuals, and we congratulate them for their accomplishments.
While we’re honoring these heroes for their selfless or courageous acts, we shouldn’t lose sight of the everyday superheroes who will also be in the room today: the employees and volunteers representing the American Red Cross. By definition, superheroes are gifted with some extraordinary power such as superior strength, lightening speed or telepathic ability. You won’t find Red Cross superheroes changing in phone booths, but they do possess remarkable virtues, such as endless compassion and an enduring commitment to public service.
Like their fictional counterparts, these real-life superheroes show up wherever they’re needed, whether it’s down the block at the scene of an apartment fire or halfway around the world helping to alleviate suffering in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. Regardless of the time of day or distance traveled, we can all rest easy in the knowledge that Red Cross volunteers will be there to respond to a call for help. We’re grateful for their presence, locally and globally.
Beyond offering the opportunity to congratulate some local heroes, today’s breakfast also provides a chance for businesses and individuals to step up and offer financial support for the programs and services available through the American Red Cross.
With a mission that covers the gamut, from prevention and preparation to disaster and emergency response, dollars invested in the Red Cross pay enormous dividends. Training programs in first aid, CPR, life guarding and the use of automated external defibrillators save countless lives every year. Emergency response efforts make an enormous difference to those who are suffering.
This morning’s Real Heroes program will shine the spotlight on 14 individuals, as well as the Snohomish Fire and Rescue Department and the Trauma Team at Providence Regional Medical Center. We celebrate them all, along with the everyday superheroes of the Red Cross.
