EVERYDAY HEROES BREAKFAST DECEMBER 7, 2006   The American Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties honored 13 individuals for their heroic acts and commitment to the community last December. From the three strangers that performed CPR on a collapsed man to the seven-year-old boy who helped his mother during a diabetic emergency, the Eleventh Annual Red Cross Heroes Breakfast sponsored by The Boeing Company, honored them all.   The event ended with a speech by Tammy Kaiser, a Red Cross volunteer and Jewish Federation employee, who stressed the importance of the Red Cross in our community and how it can save lives. All donations received at the breakfast help your local Red Cross prevent, prepare for and respond to disasters in the community.   View photos of the event.       The Stories: Adult Good Samaritan                                                  Sponsor: Puget Sound Energy   For Larry Glenn, three complete strangers made the difference between life and death.  One day this past summer while jogging along Soos Creek Trail in Kent, Larry suddenly collapsed from cardiac arrest. As Rebecca Ashmead jogged by, someone called out her attention to Larry.  She went over and saw Larry lying on the ground.  His head cut and arms bruised, the man didn’t appear to be breathing.  As Rebecca checked Larry’s pulse, Linda Roundtree and Perry Doles arrived.     Without hesitation the three heroes jumped into action.  Linda Roundtree, Rebecca Ashmead began CPR and Perry Doles rushed off to find a phone to call 9-1-1. Because of the trail’s difficult landscape, the paramedics had a hard time locating the foursome. As minutes ticked by, the group refused to give up and continued taking turns giving Larry rescue breaths and chest compressions.  After 20 minutes, the paramedics finally arrived and successfully re-started Larry’s heart with an automated external defibrillator.    Thanks to the courage and quick-thinking of Linda, Rebecca and Perry, along with the paramedics, Larry made a full recovery and is doing well.  “I will never forget them,” Larry remarked. “They will always be my heroes.”    Call to Action                                                               Sponsor: Physio Control (formerly Medtronic)   Laurie and John Macartney and their friend Kathleen decided to spend an afternoon at Crystal Mountain.  John and Kathleen are both very experienced skiers and John was going to show Kathleen some new techniques.  Laurie skied down first. Minutes later Kathleen and John followed. As John skied along, he noticed a ski sticking out of the snow. John’s 37 years of ski patrol experience told him that someone was trapped in a tree well. After seeing the ski wiggle a little, he hurried toward the trapped skier and yelled for help. John knew that he needed help in pulling the skier out of the snow and called to Steven Swanson. After numerous times pulling, John and Steve were able to free the skier from the snow.   As they turned the person over, John was shocked to discover that the trapped skier was his wife Laurie.    “John never hesitated even when he realized it was Laurie,” Kathleen remembers.   Immediately John began administering CPR. Laurie’s jaw was clamped shut, so John did mouth to nose resuscitation.  After about a minute and a half, ski patrol arrived and took her to the bottom of the mountain. From there, Laurie was sent to the   Fortunately, Laurie recovered in time to watch her son perform on the US Ski Team in the 2006 Olympics.   Medical Sponsor: Overlake Hospital Center   Dr. Kalman Klass is a Seattle dentist who dedicates his free time to volunteering in the community by providing free dental care, both locally and internationally, to people who do not have access to it. In his dental clinic in Seattle , Dr. Klass dedicates each Tuesday afternoon to providing dental care at no charge to welfare recipients and to people who cannot afford dental care.   Dr. Klass also has been involved in the SmileMobile since its inception in 1995. The Smile Mobile is a program that provides dental care in a mobile clinic at little to no cost to patients. Each year Dr. Klass spends a week on the SmileMobile treating patients in mostly rural areas of Washington .   In addition to volunteering his time and his dentistry skills locally, Dr. Klass has traveled to Jerusalem, Israel to volunteer his services with the group Dental Volunteers for Israel , which provides free dental care for children. The clinic in Israel typically sees 100 children per day, all from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities.   “He’s definitely a hero to us here at the SmileMobile,” said Monika Foro from the Smilemobile.   Nature Rescue                                                              Sponsor: US Bank   A hot summer day nearly turned tragic for 13-year-old Natalie Kerns when she went out on a recreational raft with a friend near Vashon Island. When she tried to paddle back to shore, a current overcame her causing her to lose her raft.  Stranded, Natalie started yelling for help.    Several minutes later a firefighter arrived, saw Natalie and approached David Templeton to borrow his life-jacket. David offered to use his windsurfing board to get Natalie himself. A skilled windsurfer, David reached Natalie in no time. After spending nearly 30 minutes afloat by herself, Natalie was extremely cold and tired. David gave her his life jacket and helped calm her down before the two began paddling back to shore.   Unfortunately, the current and wind were extremely strong. David and Natalie struggled for nearly 45 minutes to paddle ashore. Finally, the Coast Guard arrived and brought everyone safely to shore.  Natalie was cold and exhausted, but alive.   Natalie’s mom Debbie sums David’s actions up best. “Anyone that’s going to put themselves out there to make a difference and help is a hero. And he did make a difference that day for Natalie.”      Police Rescue                                                               Sponsor: PEMCO Insurance   Jeri Ginnaty and his friend went to meet his wife Mary at 4th and Pine for lunch.  As Mary walked toward them, Jeri took a step forward, clutched his chest, and fell to the ground.  At first they thought he was kidding around, but quickly realized that something was very wrong. His friend called 9-1-1 and ran for help, while Mary tended to her husband lying on the ground.   Meanwhile, Officer Glen Cook and Sergeant Paul Kloss had just finished meeting for coffee. They were a block away from the scene and about to leave when a man ran up and told them that a person had just fallen down and was not breathing.    Sgt. Kloss and Officer Cook ran to Jeri and immediately took action. Sgt. Kloss did chest compressions while Officer Cook did the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and eventually Jeri started breathing. Shortly after the paramedics arrived and took Jeri to the hospital.   Once Jeri started feeling better, he and his wife had breakfast with Officer Cook and Sgt. Kloss to express their gratitude.   “They made a huge difference in my life and I wanted Officer Cook and Sgt. Kloss to know how truly grateful I am” Jeri said.   Compassion in Action                                                               Sponsor: Deloitte   “I have no question in my mind that he saved lives that night, “says Auburn Fire Battalion Chief Tim Day about Edward Marsette. Just before 1 a.m. on a rainy, windy night, Edward and his wife Annette awoke to a loud crashing sound. While his wife called 9-1-1, Edward ran outside to find a car turned upside down and engulfed in flames.    Edward ran over to help a screaming teenager who crawled out of the car. The boy’s clothes aflame, Edward made him stop, drop and roll as he patted out the flames. Edward heard more screams from the burning car.  With no regard for his own safety, he got down on his hands and knees, reached into the burning vehicle and one by one pulled three more teenagers to safety and patted out the flames on their hair and clothes.  He was not able to reach the other two boys.    By the time the firefighters, police and paramedics arrived, Edward helped rescue four of the six boys who were trapped in the burning car.  Edward’s hands, arms and legs were badly burned, but he insisted that the teens get treated first.  Thanks to Edward’s heroic actions, four of six boy’s lives were saved.   Commitment to Community                                           Sponsor: The Boeing Company   Tukwila Fire Lt. Peter Wojcik shares his life and heart with a very special group of kids. For each of the past eight summers, he has given up one week of his vacation to provide support to the dozens of young burn survivors who attend Camp Eyabsut in North Bend , Washington .   As a camp counselor, Peter helps the kids with art and crafts projects, music, sporting events, campfires and other activities that help install confidence and hope in these young survivors---many whom live with both physical and psychological pain.    His compassion and warmth enable the kids to let their guard down and be themselves. He makes them feel comfortable in their own skin, which can be a real challenge for the campers. According to camp executive director Nancy Mendoza, “Peter is someone the kids can trust.”   Youth Good Samaritan                                     Sponsor: Costco   Danielle Williams, Isaiah’s mother, woke up in the middle of the night unable to move or speak.  She tried to call out to her son, but all she could make were noises.  Isaiah woke up and could see his mother needed help. He ran to the living room and used his mom’s cell phone to call his father.  No one answered.  Danielle could hear Isaiah, but couldn’t communicate with him.  She has been diabetic for 23 years and this was the first time she couldn’t speak or move.  After the phone calls failed, Isaiah brought her a glass of milk, but she was unable to drink it. He then determined it was time to call 9-1-1.    “Once I heard him talking to the 9-1-1 dispatcher, I knew everything was going to be okay,” Danielle said. Just seven-years-old, Isaiah told the dispatcher that they lived in the Lake Meridian area and the name of their apartment building and number. Then he waited by the window looking for the firemen to arrive.    When the firefighters arrived they heard, “Hi guys!” from the window and Isaiah let them in the apartment.  He was able to tell them that his mom’s sugar levels were low and then made his mom a sandwich. Firefighter Art Weichbrodt said he was impressed and touched by Isaiah’s composure and exceptional demeanor during the emergency.   “He saved my life,” Danielle said.  “The next day I just could not stop hugging him!”   Workplace Safety                                                         Sponsor: Weyerhaeuser Company   Halfway through a routine 20-minute run on the Leota Junior High outdoor track, ninth-grader Chris Giovannetti began experiencing dizziness and chest pains.  Within moments he passed out, stopped breathing and had a seizure.   While stunned students stood by, fitness teacher Melissa Barnum quickly took control of the situation.  Recalling her American Red Cross CPR training, she checked Chris’s breathing and pulse and had one of the students get help while another ran to get the AED (automated external defibrillator). Melissa performed three to four CPR rescue breaths.  Fortunately, this triggered a reaction from Chris and helped him to breathe on his own again. The paramedics arrived shortly afterwards and took over.     After this episode, Chris’s doctors implanted a heart monitor under his skin.  Today, Chris is doing great.Chris and his family are very grateful for Melissa and her life-saving CPR training.  “Melissa epitomizes what it means to be a hero at work in my eyes. She knew exactly what to do and did it,” said Valentina Giovannetti, Chris’s mother.