Red Cross Hometown Heroes honors Roseville residents

Roseville residents Annie Adcock, Hayley Handcock, Amanda Clark and Paul Stewart were among 19 Hometown Heroes recently honored by the Sacramento-Sierra Chapter of the American Red Cross at a recent award ceremony at the Double Tree Hotel in Sacramento.

Men and women from the Sacramento area who have acted courageously – heroically – on behalf of others were recognized.

They have saved lives, prevented tragedies, or given of themselves for the greater good. They were nominated by other members of our community.

During a water polo practice, a player became unconscious and slipped beneath the surface of the water. Adcock, Handcock and Clark  responded immediately and pulled her to the surface. Coach Stewart removed the player from the water and administered CPR.

The player quickly began breathing on her own and remains on the polo team.

Good Samaritan Hero, Claude (Bud) Walker of Rocklin saved the life of a rollover accident driver when the accident left a truck in flames.

Onlookers had tried to get him our but were beaten back by the flames. Walker appeared and ran into the inferno, dragged the driver through the windshield and laid him down 100 feet away. The truck’s tires exploded as he pulled the man out. Seconds after completing the rescue, the truck cab was destroyed.Other Sacramento-area heros awarded

Mike Weinberger, Animal Rescue Hero; Claude Walker and Hakiem Bostic, Good Samaritan Heroes; Devin Medeiros, Nicholas Walker, Richard Valcher and Brandon Flores, Good Samaritan Heroes – Youth; Tim Galovich, Law Enforcement Hero; Hector Delgadillo, Derrick Boutie and Robert Zellender, Military Heroes, Kristen Weckworth and William Slater, Spirit of the Red Cross; Kelly Garcia, Professional Rescuer Hero; and an unnamed Work Place Hero.

Ryan Godsey, Sydney Vallee and Britanny McCluskey, three students, were recognized for writing their Essays of the Red Cross about what being a hero means to them.

The Sacramento Sierra Chapter of the American Red Cross provides the same sorts of life-saving services and community support functions for which these heroes are recognized.

This year the local chapter has cared for victims of home fires, hurricanes, floods and wildfires at the local and national levels.

The Chapter has helped families of our armed forces communicate with their loved ones during this time of war. It has worked with individuals and companies on health and safety education and emergency preparedness, educated elementary students on the basics of first aid and trained community members to become disaster responders.

Thanks to the Hometown Heroes for giving the gift of life, protecting animals from harm, rescuing strangers, putting themselves in danger to assist others and using their skills calmly and quickly when seconds counted.

Thanks to donations by area residents and businesses, the local Red Cross is able to continue it service to the community.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and counsels victims of disasters; provides nearly half of the nation’s blood supply; teaches lifesaving skills; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a charitable organization – not a government agency – and depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its humanitarian mission.