Calling All Heroes: Nominations for American Red Cross Awards Open

By Taylar Sausen

American Red Cross of Alaska

Calling All Heroes: Nominations for the 2024 American Red Cross of Alaska Real Heroes Awards are open

“A hero is someone who rises in the face of adversity and helps others in a true moment of need,“ said Anchorage Police Officer Jacob Raygor.

Officer Raygor and two of his fellow police officers were selected as one of the American Red Cross of Alaska Real Hero Award recipients in 2023. Raygor and his colleagues provided successfully evacuated another police officer that was injured in the line of duty and provided first aid which saved his life.

American Red Cross of Alaska Real Heroes award winner. (Courtesy of Taylor Sausen)

Each year, The American Red Cross of Alaska selects individuals or groups in ten different categories to honor Real Heroes. Amazing situations, daring rescues, and extraordinary displays of community support happen every day and the Red Cross needs your help to find these stories to give these heroes the recognition they deserve.

“It doesn’t have to be textbook or like the movies or something like that,” said Steven Borcherding, 2023 Transportation Safety Hero Honoree. “A hero is just somebody who goes out of their way to help their community as they can.” Borcherding and two of his friends located a downed plane from the air as they traveled to a cabin. The three friends hiked two miles and scaled a cliff to help the flight instructor and her student out of the plane that crashed and flipped after the plane malfunctioned.

If these stories resonate with you and you find yourself wanting to honor a hero with a similar story, nominations for the 2024 Real Heroes Awards are open now. The ten hero categories are Fire Rescue, Military/Law Enforcement, Marine Rescue, Alaska Safety, Workplace/Slope Safety, Medical Rescue, Transportation Safety, Adult Good Samaritan, Youth Good Samaritan, and Wilderness Rescue.

Go to www.redcross.org/alaska to learn more and nominate a hero today. Nominations are due by December 11th, 2023, and acts of heroism must have occurred in the year 2023.

For more information about the awards and submission criteria.